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Mango Cestrum

I gave it the name Mango Cestrum because.. well.. it reminds me of mango pulp!  Cestrum aurantiacum lights up the garden with tons of happy, little orange flowers!  This hard-to-find Guatemalan beauty is easy to grow, and it can bloom nearly all year.  You'll want to show off this upbeat plant right where everyone can see it - including the hummingbirds!  Freshly picked seeds are rarely seen for sale.

Cestrum auranticum

The Mango Cestrum is an evergreen bush or small tree.  Here in San Francisco, it grows 15 feet tall or more.  You can prune it to any size you wish.  It grows well in a container, and can even be grown as a bonsai plant!  Even without flowers it is a very attractive plant, with lush, bright green foliage with a satiny sheen.  The inch long, trumpet-shaped blooms appear throughout much of the year.  A yellower form of this species exists, however this form is bright orange.  The petals open with a star-shaped formation, and then roll back, giving the blooms a rounder shape.  After flowering, attractive, white berries appear as an added bonus!

Mango Cestrum

The Mango Cestrum is said to tolerate temperatures down to 25-30 degrees F (-3 C), although it grows best when protected from frost.  Despite coming from a mild climate, it is known to grow in warmer areas like Florida and Texas.  It can flower in a variety of lighting conditions, from part sun to full sun.  Some shade from strong afternoon sun might be needed in hotter conditions.  It grows best in well-draining soil, with regular watering and feeding, much like its cousin, Brugmansia.  It grows well indoors in a pot, where it can bloom year-round!  The fruit and leaves of some Cestrum species contain a toxin, so keep pets and small kids from munching on it.  This is a non-invasive species.

Cestrum aurantiacum

Cestrum aurantiacum

 

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Germination tips for this plant

 

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