Night-blooming Cestrum: What month does it bloom?
Here we will explore the knowledge about when the night-blooming Cestrum starts to bloom and a brief introduction to its flowering period for appreciation.
From May to September, there is a small tree with peculiar flowers: they bud during the day like a shy girl; when it's quiet at night, they subtly reveal their smiles and emit a faint fragrance.
This is the night-blooming Cestrum, also known as the night fragrant tree, night fragrant flower, or night clove. It is native to South America and now cultivated more in South China, while in the north, it is mostly potted.
The night-blooming Cestrum is a shrub that grows upright, reaching a height of 2 to 3 meters; some are climbing. The branches are long and drooping, with single, alternate, papery leaves. The cymose inflorescence is axillary, the corolla is salver-shaped, the corolla tube is cylindrical, the lobes are oblong, and the style is short and columnar.
The night-blooming Cestrum is also easy to care for. It has a developed root system, prefers warm, humid conditions, plenty of sunlight, good ventilation, dryness, good drainage, and fertile soil. It is drought-resistant and can tolerate poor soil. It naturally grows in mountainous shrub thickets. Due to its fragrant characteristics, it is commonly used in modern gardens to decorate courtyards, pavilions, and windowsills.
The fragrance of the night-blooming Cestrum is pleasant, but it doesn't bloom at the right time. It is an oxygen-consuming plant, and staying too long in the presence of night-blooming Cestrum flowers at night is not beneficial for health. However, mosquitoes are afraid of it. It seems that its existence is for repelling mosquitoes in the summer.
The flowers of the night-blooming Cestrum can be extracted for essential oils, used as vegetables, and the leaves, flowers, and fruits can be used as medicine for clearing the liver and improving eyesight.
The name 'night-blooming Cestrum' is wonderful, with紫茉莉 (purple jasmine), 晚香玉 (evening fragrant jade), and 待宵草 (waiting-for-night grass) vying for the name, but they don't know that 'night-blooming Cestrum' is the registered trademark of the night fragrant tree!
The introduction above about the blooming month of the night-blooming Cestrum and the method of appreciating its flowering period is provided as a reference and suggestion for everyone.