Day-blooming Jessamine Plant Care

Cestrum diurnum L.

Updated · Sources · How we source care data

Cestrum diurnum is a species of Cestrum, native to the West Indies. Common names include day-blooming cestrum, day-blooming jessamine, and day-blooming jasmine.

🌿Shrubs🌱Herbs
Water

Every 7–10 days

Light

Full sun to partial shade

Temp

50–85°F

Humidity

40–70%

At a glance

How do you care for Day-blooming Jessamine?

Plant Day-blooming Jessamine in full sun to partial shade (USDA zones 12a) and water a young tree every 7–10 days until it is established. It tolerates temperatures of 50–85°F (10–29°C). Fertilize it every 6 months during the growing season. It is reported as toxic to pets, so keep it out of reach of pets.

Where Is the Day-blooming Jessamine Native To?

Native range22 countries

What Is the Day-blooming Jessamine?

Day-blooming Jessamine (Cestrum diurnum) belongs to the Solanaceae family within the Cestrum genus. Day-blooming Jessamine is native to the West Indies. Day-blooming Jessamine is also known as White Cestrum, Common Jessamine, Yesterday-today-and-tomorrow.

Day-blooming Jessamine displays a fast-growing shrub growth habit, reaching up to 6 ft tall with a spread of approximately 4 ft. Day-blooming Jessamine produces tubular flowers in shades of red, orange, or yellow.

Leaf size: approximately 6 inches.

How Often Should You Water a Day-blooming Jessamine?

Water a young or newly planted Day-blooming Jessamine every 7–10 days, soaking the whole root zone, until it is established — usually one to two growing seasons. Established trees mainly need water during long dry spells. In a container, water whenever the top few centimetres of soil are dry.

Watering Frequency

Every 7–10 days

Until established; then in dry spells

What Light Does the Day-blooming Jessamine Need?

Day-blooming Jessamine thrives in full sun to partial shade.

Light Requirement

Full sun to partial shade

What Temperature and Humidity Does the Day-blooming Jessamine Prefer?

Cestrum diurnum tolerates temperatures of 50–85°F. Day-blooming Jessamine prefers humidity levels of 40–70%.

Temperature

50–85°F

Humidity

40–70%

What Soil Mix Works Best for a Day-blooming Jessamine?

Well-draining, fertile soil with added compost for nutrients. Good drainage is essential for Day-blooming Jessamine to prevent waterlogging, which leads to root rot and fungal issues.

How Often Should You Fertilize a Day-blooming Jessamine?

Feed Day-blooming Jessamine every 6 months during the growing season with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer at the rate on the label. Established trees in good soil often need little extra feeding, so let weak growth or pale foliage guide you.

Stop feeding by late summer so new growth can harden before winter.

Fertilizing

Every 6 months

During the growing season

The PlantoScan app can remind you when to water and when to fertilize each plant.

Where Should You Plant a Day-blooming Jessamine?

Choose a spot with full sun to partial shade and well-draining, fertile soil with added compost for nutrients. Avoid low spots where water collects after rain.

Day-blooming Jessamine is suited to USDA Zone 12a.

Plant container-grown or balled-and-burlapped trees in spring or early autumn, setting the root flare at soil level, and water well after planting.

How Far Apart Should You Plant a Day-blooming Jessamine?

Day-blooming Jessamine can spread to about 4 ft (1.2 m) and reach about 6 ft (2 m) tall. Space plants about 4 ft (1.2 m) apart so mature crowns don't crowd each other, and plant at least half that distance from buildings, fences and paths.

Planning a row or hedge? Try the tree spacing calculator.

How Do You Prune a Day-blooming Jessamine?

Prune Day-blooming Jessamine while it is dormant in late winter: first remove dead, damaged and crossing branches, then thin lightly for shape.

If it flowers in spring, prune right after flowering instead so you don't remove next year's buds. Never take off more than about a quarter of the tree in one year.

How Do You Care for a Day-blooming Jessamine in Winter?

Day-blooming Jessamine is frost-tender (hardy to USDA zone 12). In colder areas grow it in a container and move it to a bright, frost-free place before the first frost.

How Do You Propagate a Day-blooming Jessamine?

Day-blooming Jessamine can be propagated through softwood cuttings, seeds. Similar propagation techniques also apply to night-blooming jessamine plant care, which shares the same genus.

Is the Day-blooming Jessamine Toxic to Pets and Children?

Toxic (caution)

Reported as toxic in our plant data. Not verified by the ASPCA.

Toxic to humans and pets if ingested

This is a general caution, not veterinary or medical advice. If your pet ate a plant, contact your vet or animal poison control.

See all plants toxic to cats and plants toxic to dogs.

What Pests and Diseases Affect the Day-blooming Jessamine?

Day-blooming Jessamine is susceptible to aphids, whiteflies, spider mites. Inspect the foliage regularly, especially along leaf undersides and stems. Treat infestations promptly with insecticidal soap or neem oil to prevent spread.

Yellow leaves, brown tips or drooping? See common plant problems and how to fix them.

What USDA Hardiness Zone Does the Day-blooming Jessamine Need?

Day-blooming Jessamine grows outdoors in USDA Zone 12a. It survives winters down to planting zone 12a. Day-blooming Jessamine is native to the West Indies. In cooler regions, grow Day-blooming Jessamine as a houseplant or bring it indoors before the first frost.

Hardiness Zone

Zone 12a

Keep exploring plants

Day-blooming Jessamine is one of many species covered in the complete plant care and identification guide, which groups plants by genus, attribute, and popularity.

It belongs to the Cestrum genus — compare its care with other Cestrum species on PlantoScan.

Cestrum is part of the Solanaceae plant family — browse all Solanaceae genera and species.

Day-blooming Jessamine thrives in bright light and direct sun — see other bright-light plants.

Related Plant Care Guides

Closely related plants with similar care requirements:

Sources

  • Scientific name & taxonomy: Cestrum diurnum L., family Solanaceae (first published in Sp. Pl. 1: 191. 1753.) — World Flora Online record, IPNI name record.
  • Pet toxicity: Day-blooming Jessamine is reported as toxic to pets in our plant data (not verified by the ASPCA), so treat it with caution. Checked against the ASPCA plant list; any other toxicity note on this page comes from PlantoScan's plant database.
  • Hardiness zone: USDA Zone 12a, calculated from the plant's minimum temperature.
  • Care values(watering, light, temperature, humidity, soil, fertilizing): PlantoScan's plant database, filtered by automatic plausibility checks — values that fail them are hidden. How we source and check plant data.

Spotted a mistake? Email info@upvision.media with the page link — we check and correct reported errors.

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