Cestrum Nocturnum (night blooming jasmine)

I bought a 5 gallon Cestrum Nocturnum and it's been sitting in the pot for a week...I just can't figure out where to plant it! I know it takes "part sun"...I could either plant it with my gingers where it would get filtered shade all day and end of afternoon sun, or at the back of a full sun flower bed where I have my cannas. I don't think it's very attractive as far as "looks" go, but I looove the scent!

Anybody here in CA who's been succesful? I appreciate any advice!

I had one at my old house and planted one here too...most of my Cestrums (nocturnum and other species) have always been somewhere that got filtered shade for part of the day and sun in the mid to late afternoon and they've done fine. I have some new ones that I just planted last week in a full sun area, but it's too early to say whether they'll do well there or not.

Well, we'll see what happens....I actually have one planted on the south side of the house. Think it was too hot for it there this last summer, I'll give it one more year. Then I've also planted one on the west side which will get a couple of hours of hot sun. I have one planted in mostly shade and it would like more light, I believe. And I have one in the nursery under shade cloth. They're easily started from cuttings or seed, so I can afford to experiment......

That's just what I do when I have more than one plant available...I experiment, and usually I find they need more sun than I thought in the first place...
The thing is if I put the cestrum in the sunny bed it won't be as close to where I would enjoy the fragrance at night...so I'm kinda hesitant...
I bought this cestrum plant full of ready to open blooms, and yesterday I moved the pot from the shady bed to another spot where it gets part sun...but I'm not digging until I'm positive I'm placing it a the best spot! help!

That's why I've got them in different spots...west side, by my bedroom window. South side by the livingroom window. In shade, between.

The smell is strong enough if it's anywhere near (or maybe not even that near) where you're going to be in the evenings, you'll smell it! Based on my experience I'm concerned that if it's in full blazing sun all day that may be too much for it. But your shady bed might be too much shade, where I have mine I'd describe the area as part sun, definitely wouldn't call it shady.

Would you describe part sun as "full sun for half of the day" of so? That would be the case for me...I could also plant it in a north facing bed where it would get all day overhead sun and end of afteroon direct sun...oh my I think I need to take some pictures I'm terrrible at describing!

I'm not sure I understand the part about all day overhead sun and end of afternoon direct sun...that sounds like all day full sun to me? All I can tell you is mine have done fine in beds where they get sun from 2-3 PM on but in shade before that, and at my old house it got dappled shade until about 3 PM then sun after that.

I know, I'm not good at describing!
There is a North facing wood fence enclosing my patio on one side. I have a raised planter on both patio corners. So it would not be direct sun, it's northfacing...but it might get a couple of hours direct sun at the end of the afternoon.
The other option is on the other side of the garden, along the south facing fence. There are a couple of date palms in there so I don''t think the sun would be overwhelming if I plant the cestrum at the back of the bed.
And there is the last option, along that same north facing side but accross the patio on the other corner, where it would be further away from the fence, but shaded by more palm trees. I'd say this would give it dappled shade all day and one hour direct sun at the end of the afternoon...
Did I confuse you even more? lol!

I think your best shot is to keep it in a container for a while and try it in a few different places. I still worry that your shadier spots may not give it enough sun to bloom...given that it stays light until 8 PM or so during the summer, mine were getting a good 4-6 hrs of sun, so if you're only getting an hour (which will probably be 2-3 once we get into summer) then it may not bloom as well. Or it might do fine, only way to know is to try! Same thing for areas with more sun, I don't know what happens to them if the sun beats down on them the entire day but if you stick a container in that part of the garden, you can find out whether it's too much sun without killing it.

Yes, I agree that's agood strategy! I have it on the other side now and this morning it was getting some sun....Are the little white balls flower buds or berries? I've been waiting forever for those to open and now I'm thinking they might be berries? (ignorance is NOT bliss, lol)

berries.....but the good news is that there are seeds inside those waxy little white balls. Take them out and plant them and you'll have more to experiment with...

I feel so dumb! lol! I was thinking "awesome, this baby is going to bloom soon!"
Does that mean it's done blooming or are there many cycles?
I've never collected seeds before, when do I know they're ready to be taken out?

When I took seeds from mine, I didn't wait for the berries to dry up or anything, I just kinda peeled off the waxy outer coating to see what was inside. I did sow mine right away and they germinated, so I don't know if they *need* to be fresh or not, didn't try them any other way. weegy has mentioned getting volunteer seedlings from her cestrum nocturnum. Hers must be in better soil than mine. I haven't looked up its bloom schedule, but if you've got berries on yours it must not have been too long ago. hmmmm, mine haven't bloomed for awhile. I remember bragging to Liz that mine was blooming, but don't remember when that was...the months just fly by!

Plant files says that it can bloom from mid-summer on through early winter.

Mine has always bloomed in late summer/fall, sometimes extending into winter. But sometimes you can get things that were raised in greenhouses that bloom at weird times, that's why I didn't think twice when you said it was about to bloom. But little white balls are definitely berries--the flowers are long and skinny and honestly not all that exciting to look at, they're really for the nose not the eyes!

Well they are weeds here and throw babies everywhere ...I suggest you give it morning sun and afternoon shade if possible ...but they are pretty tough! even come back after frost.
good luck with it.
chrissy