Cestrum aurantiacum

I first encountered Yellow Cestrum in southern Alabama in the summer of 1998. It was blooming profusely despite the hot steamy weather of the Deep South. Its inflorescences somewhat remind me of a Lilac shrub with its large clusters of golden yellow flowers. It isn’t immediately obvious that it belongs to the Solanaceae, or Nightshade family. Yellow Cestrum makes a fabulous container plant as well as an outstanding source of golden color in beds and borders all while attracting lots of butterflies and hummingbirds. I shared this hardy plant with some fellow gardeners in Oklahoma City in 2001 where it has survived each winter ever since.