ORIGIN

Tropical America

COMMON NAME

Cestrum

BOTANICAL NAME

Cestrum spp.

IDENTIFICATION

Species known as orange cestrum, red cestrum, green cestrum and the strongly night-scented queen of the night. Shrubs or small trees. Simple leaves hairy or smooth, foul smelling when bruised. Tubular flowers, often fragrant, most colours except blues, 5-lobed. Fruit is berry.

HABITATS

Shrubland areas, secondary forest and shrubland margins, secondary forest, waste places, stream banks.

IMPACT TO BIOTA AND ECOSYSTEMS

Vigorous. Can form dense undergrowth and invade forest and sheltered gullies.

DISPERSAL ROUTES, VECTORS, INFESTATION SOURCES

Often used as hedging and in and around paddocks and forest margins. Garden escape.

MANAGEMENT

Physical Control
Cut and paint stumps with Tordon Brushkiller at 1 part to 20 parts of water.

Disposal

Chemical Control
Tordon Brushkiller at 50 ml in 10 litres of water.

Biological Control

Recommended Approach
Cut and paint stumps of small infestations. Spray larger infestations with Tordon.

FURTHER COMMENT

Stock death resulting from eating cestrum has been reported. For more information on the poisonous properties of Cestrum please refer to Environment Bay of Plenty's Fact Sheet 19-poisonous plants

This plant is prohibited from propagation, sale and distribution!