Chilean Cestrum
Cestrum parqui
NEMBA category
English: Chilean Cestrum, Green Cestrum, Green Poison Berry, Willow-leaved Jessamine
A highly invasive shrub originating from South America, Chilean Cestrum forms a straggly, woody bush standing 2-3 meters tall with brittle green stems. Its light-green, shiny leaves emit a foul rubbery odour when crushed, while producing sprays of small, fragrant yellow-green tubular flowers from late spring to autumn. The plant subsequently develops clusters of small, black egg-shaped berries, enabling its aggressive spread and potential to disrupt local ecosystems by out-competing indigenous vegetation.
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Origins: Chile and Argentina
Overall Appearance:
Cestrum parqui is an upright, straggly, woody shrub that typically grows 1-3 meters tall. It has one or more brittle green stems emerging from each crown.
Leaves:
Leaves are alternate, 2-12 cm long and 0.5-3 cm wide, lanceolate to narrow-ovate, minutely puberulent when young, otherwise glabrous; base attenuate or cuneate; apex acute to short-acuminate.1 They have an unpleasant odor when crushed.
Flowers:
Small, greenish-yellow flowers are borne in clusters at the ends of branches. The flower tubes are 1.5-2.3 cm long with five small, terminal lobes. They are fragrant at night.
Flowering Season:
Flowers are produced throughout the year, but most abundantly from late spring to autumn.
Fruits:
Small, round, purplish-black berries about 1 cm long.
Seeds:
Numerous, small, and easily dispersed by birds.
Bark:
Thin, smooth, and pale grey.
Wood:
Soft and brittle.
Soil Type:
Adaptable to a wide range of soil types.
Aspect:
Prefers full sun to partial shade.
Edibility:
All parts of the plant are poisonous.
Toxicity:
Highly toxic to livestock (cattle, sheep, horses, pigs, poultry) and can also be harmful to humans. Symptoms of poisoning include fever, loss of appetite, increased thirst, unsteady gait, accelerated breathing, weak pulse, and increasing debility.
Uses:
Historically used as an ornamental plant and for hedging.
Birds Attracted:
Birds may eat the berries and disperse the seeds.
Problem Provinces:
Widespread throughout South Africa, particularly in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Free State, and coastal regions.
Note: Cestrum parqui is a highly invasive species in South Africa. It forms dense thickets that displace native vegetation, reduce biodiversity, and can be a significant threat to livestock. Control measures, such as manual removal, herbicide application, and the introduction of biological control agents, are often necessary to manage infestations.
Friendly alternatives:
Common name
Scientific Name
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Plant type
Plant family:
Plant family (derivation)