The flowers are greenish-white, with a slender tubular corolla 2–2.5 cm (0.79–0.98 in) long with five acute lobes, 10–13 mm (0.39–0.51 in) diameter when open at night, and are produced in cymose inflorescences.

[7] Cestrum nocturnum is grown in subtropical regions as an ornamental plant for its flowers that are heavily perfumed at night.

[11] Some people, especially those with respiratory sensitivities or asthma, have reported difficulty breathing, irritation of the nose and throat, headache, nausea, or other symptoms when exposed to the blossom's powerful scent.

[13] Spoerke and Smolinske (1990)[14] noted the following: "Ingesting 15 lb of plant material caused a cow to salivate, clamp its jaws, collapse, and eventually die.

"[17] Plant extracts have shown larvicidal activity against the mosquito Aedes aegypti while showing no toxicity to fish.

[20][21] The mechanisms of the plant's putative psychoactive effects are currently unknown, and anecdotal data are extremely limited and include an aphrodisiac power.

[22] In a rare discussion of traditional entheogenic use of the plant, Müller-Ebeling, Rätsch, and Shahi describe shamanic use of C. nocturnum in Nepal.

Cestrum nocturnum has become widely naturalized in tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, southern China and the southernmost United States, and is difficult to eradicate.

NS Forest and Bird is compiling an inventory of wild cestrum sites in order to place the plant on the banned list.