Cestrum aurantiacum ‘Orange Zest’

Cestrum ‘Orange Zest’ is a tropical treasure for northern gardens. The genus Cestrum has several species and cultivars that deserve more consideration by the horticultural community, including growers, designers, and gardeners. ‘Orange Zest’ is a lovely evergreen shrub in USDA zone 8, and a deciduous shrub in Zone 7 or even 6. I have a plant in my garden that survived -8°F several winters ago and looks stunning today. ‘Orange Zest’ is a selection of the species C. aurantiacum. There is another cultivar in the trade named C. ‘Orange Peel’ which is a hybrid between C. diurnum and C. nocturnum.

Cestrums are alternatively known as jessamine and are members of the family Solanaceae, and thus being nightshades are toxic if ingested. This functions in the gardener’s favor by keeping deer from browsing on the leaves. Orange jessamine is evening fragrant, giving up its perfume only after sunset. During the day, the beautiful tubular flowers are a delight to the gardener, as well as to bees and hummingbirds who feed on the sweet nectar.

In the garden, I’ve been pleased with the longevity and habit of ‘Orange Zest.’ It requires little or no pruning to maintain a pleasing shape and is in an area of the garden that gets minimal summer watering. It blooms from late June through October. I would compare its habit to that of a lilac, though it will stay much smaller than a mature Syringa vulgaris cultivar. My ‘Orange Zest’ is about 5 feet tall and wide. It’s also a great container plant or used as an annual in colder climates. This is a wonderful plant that should be more readily available in the trade.