Cestrum nocturnum

Native from Mexico through Central America to northern South America, this evergreen shrub in the nightshade family grows about 3 to 13 feet tall. Its slender, greenish-white to yellow flowers release a strong fragrance at night. The flowers develop in clusters, followed by white berries whose seeds are spread by birds. Its leaves have an unpleasant smell when crushed. All parts are poisonous to people and animals. It is naturalized in eastern Australia and invasive in New Zealand, where dense growth prevents native seedlings from establishing. Photographed in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia.