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rev_durai

Cestrum Nocturnum

rev_durai
13 years ago

I am Durai from Malaysia. I am new to this Forum.

I have 6 Cestrum Nocturnum plants. I grew them from Seeds.

They are about 5 feet tall and just beginning to branch out.

Should I trim them? When will they begin to bloom? I am keen to know what other fragrant plants can be propagated by seeds. I am looking for seeds of fragant flowers.

Thank you.

Durai

Comments (9)

  • Dar Sunset Zone 18
    13 years ago

    Hi Durai, welcome to the forum. Trimming them will have them respond with new growth, like a bougainvillia does. Even if you hack it down to the base, the plants should come back with a good amount of basal shoots. It's a lanky plant that is a fast grower when established, so you will probably be trimming it a lot later on.

    They bloom intermintenly throughout the year. Since you started them from seed, I am not sure how mature they need to be before they start blooming. Cestrum does bloom on new wood so perhaps those seedlings may bloom after those new branches form.

    In the Plumeria forum, there was a member from Malaysia that had his plumeria seedling bloom in about 8 months (iirc). And plumerias are notorious for taking years to bloom in that forum.

    As a result of growing from seed you may find each individual may vary slightly. Way to make a selection with better blooming habits.

    You may be pleased to know Cestrum nocturnum is one of the easiest shrubs to reproduce from cuttings. And cuttings can bloom within a few months.

  • Dar Sunset Zone 18
    13 years ago

    Since you aren't too far from Thailand, perhaps you might be able to find those fragrant Adenium hybrids. There are also some seeds I see on ebay, if you do a search for "fragrant adenium." I do know that Adeniums can start blooming within a year from seed. That's not the case with many of the fragrant plants we, here, grow. lol

    False Freesias can bloom within a year also. Another plant that can bloom when very tiny is Murraya paniculata which is related to citrus. When I say tiny, I mean a little seedling about 4 inches or smaller IIRC (I saw it on Bananas.org).

  • kemistry
    13 years ago

    The Murraya you are speaking of is the dwarf variety, i think it's called murraya exotica 'minima'. I believe M. Paniculata is the non-dwarf plant.
    But yes, the dwarf Murraya can bloom really young as a seedling, in fact, here was my 2-month old seedling blooming:

    {{gwi:811516}}
    Scent is amazingly strong for such a tiny plant.

    I've seen pictures of the fragrant Adenium and wonder what the fragrance is like.

    Durai, with your climate why not try Michelia champaca and Cananga odorata from seeds? They should bloom in 2-3 years for you.

  • Dar Sunset Zone 18
    13 years ago

    Kemistry! I think I was indeed referring to your plant. Thanks for posting the pic, it's nice to see it again. I find it so amazing. :) It looks a lot like a miniature kumquat.

  • gardenscents
    13 years ago

    I have a M. Paniculata that I dug up from my yard in Florida 3 years ago (a seedling courtesy of a bird)that has NEVER bloomed. I've done everything suggested and nothing. I also started cuttings of Cestrum Nocturnum and they all died. Sheesh! But I do have lots of plumaria that I'm successful with, at least. I'm determined to get a Murraya to bloom. I understand the Cestrum is not happy in pots for long so I've given up on that.

  • mehitabel
    13 years ago

    gardenscents, for a Murraya that blooms, buy the one being offered by Logees. They describe it as one that blooms constantly and from an early age, and it's really true. I had one 5 or 6 years ago that I dearly loved, and when I got back into fragrants, it's one of the first ones I bought again.

    It was a small plant, about a 2" or 4" pot, and about 4" high, but it already had buds on it, and these bloomed within a few days. That was the first of August. It continued to grow, set buds and bloom right along. Right now it has buds on at least 6 different branches.

    You won't go wrong with this one.

  • gardenscents
    13 years ago

    I did buy a Murraya from Logees and yes it continually blooms! I planted it in the same pot as the one I dug up to "help along" the one that doesn't bloom. I'm about to cut the unblooming one way back and if it doesn't bloom then - it's history. I just hate to give up on it because the "parent" left behind in Florida bloomed constantly. I also ordered some seeds from ebay - I'll try that. Thanks for the input.

  • flowers_galore
    13 years ago

    Kem,

    did you get your's from Logees?

  • kemistry
    13 years ago

    Radha, the seeds were donated to me by a gardener in Singapore. It's a slow grower but always blooms if it gets enough sunlight.

    (Oh by the way, where did you get your Magnolia Coco from?)