Queen of the Night is easily spread forming dense stands on our forest floor.
Queen of the night or Night Scented Jasmine (Solanaceae – Cestrum nocturnum) forms dense stands with toxic berries and leaves that dominate the wet and shady spots on the forest floor. Its similar to look at as a lot of native species but its distinct smelly ‘solanaceae’ smell gives it away; as does its green-white jasmine like flowers and smell in the night.
Queen of the Night is in our Dirty Dozen because it spreads and grows quickly, producing toxic berries and inhibits the growth of our native plants in our forests.
How you can help…
You can remove it by hand pulling small seedlings or you can apply herbicide to remove them. You can find out how best to control Queen of the Night and what to use on NRC’s Pest Control Hub (click here)
Need help?
If you are in the Tutukaka area and need help or access to herbicide and tools please contact us on text 022 526 1972 or email s.w.a.tutukaka@gmail.com – our team of weed surveyors and slayers are only too happy to assist!
For more information check out Northland Regional Council’s Pest Control Hub (click here) or Weedbusters (click here)