Hi Amanda: I believe your shrub is yellow cestrum. The Florida Nursery Growers selected it as a plant of the year in 2000. Since yours is 12' tall, I'd say you're already doing quite well in caring for it.

The literature says it enjoys full to partial sun and well drained loamy soil. As you noted, butterflies (and hummingbirds) find its tubular flowers quite tasty.

Those plants in the northern parts of Florida can be top killed by frost but the shrub will come back from the roots.

June

I'm very pleased to read this. I have several planted in the back part of my yard. They have grown to well over ten feet and seem to have flowers all the time. The best thing is that they don't seem to be very bothered by freezes, so they are truly perennials.

I have to say, however, that I don't see many hummingbirds or butterflies visiting them. It isn't the best plant for either--at least in my yard.