Named by the RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) as one of their top 200 plants of the last 200 years, Cestrum parqui is truly one of the most amazingly floriferous perennials we grow. From Zone 8 south, Cestrum parqui actually behaves like a shrub and can reach 15′ tall in very tropical locations, but only 5′ in temperate climates. Beginning in early summer and continuing until first frost, our 6′ wide, deer-resistant “bush” is smothered with both axillary and terminal floral clusters, each bearing hundreds of mustard-yellow flowers that attract hummingbirds. In early evening, the flowers emit a powerful fragrance that perfumes the garden, but disappears by morning. Willow-leaved jessamine is a virtual flowering machine that is perfect for a special full sun location. While Cestrum parqui is a prolific seed producer, the seedlings do not stray from around the base of the main clump.
