Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Shrub
Tree
Origin
Mexico
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
Types
Pink cestrum, Red cestrum, Purple cestrum
-
Number of Varieties
1753
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens, High elevation, Roadsides
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-154-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
9-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 13, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
300.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
300.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Magenta, Crimson, Violet
Yellow, Brown
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Red
Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Yellow, Light Yellow, Tan
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Prune in the late winter or spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Shape and thin as needed
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No need to fertilize every year
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Hummingbirds, Butterflies
-
Allergy
-
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Bonsai, Hanging Basket, Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Erosion control, Wildlife
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Fruits, Seeds
Whole plant
Other Uses
Showy Purposes
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Cutflower, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Screening, Wind Break, Tropical
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Botanical Name
CESTRUM elegans
BETULA nigra
Common Name
Crimson cestrum, Elegant poison-berry, Purple cestrum, Red cestrum
River Birch
In Hindi
Butterfly Flower plant
River Birch
In German
Schmetterlings-Blumen- Anlage
Fluss Birch
In French
usine de fleur de papillon
Birch river
In Spanish
planta de la flor de mariposa
river Birch
In Greek
φυτό Πεταλούδα λουλούδι
ποταμός Birch
In Portuguese
planta de flor de borboleta
river Birch
In Polish
Motyl Kwiat roślin
Rzeka Birch
In Latin
Flos plantae Gloria
Betula
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Solanales
Fagales
Family
Solanaceae
Betulaceae
Genus
Cestrum
Betula
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Cestreae
-
Subfamily
Browallioideae
-
Number of Species
2503
1
27800
👆🏻