Botanical Name: Brunfelsia pauciflora
Common Names: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, Kiss Me Quick, Morning-Noon-and-Night, Brunfelsia
📌 Product Description
Brunfelsia pauciflora is a beautiful evergreen to semi-evergreen flowering shrub treasured for its unusual blooms that change colour over several days, opening deep purple, fading to lavender, and then turning white. This gives the plant its popular name, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, as all three shades often appear on the shrub at the same time.
This charming shrub forms a neat, rounded bush and is ideal for shaded borders, courtyard gardens, patio containers, and fragrant planting near entrances or walkways. Its lightly scented flowers and glossy green foliage make it especially attractive in tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate South African gardens.
Decorative, distinctive, and easy to enjoy, Brunfelsia pauciflora is an excellent choice for gardeners wanting long-lasting floral interest with changing colour and classic garden charm.
📏 Size When Fully Grown
Height: 1.5–3 m
Spread: 1.5–2.5 m
Growth Habit: Rounded, bushy evergreen to semi-evergreen shrub
Growth Rate: Moderate
🌱 Best Growing Conditions
Light: Partial shade to full sun in cooler areas; best with some protection from harsh afternoon sun
Soil: Rich, well-draining soil improved with compost
Water:
• Water regularly during establishment
• Keep soil evenly moist during active growth
• Do not allow the plant to dry out completely for long periods
• Avoid poorly drained or waterlogged soil
Feeding: Feed in spring and midsummer with compost or a balanced fertiliser to encourage healthy growth and abundant flowering.
Maintenance:
• Lightly prune after flowering to maintain shape
• Remove dead or weak growth as needed
• Mulch to keep roots cool and conserve moisture
• Protect young plants from severe frost
🌦️ Planting & Growing Season (South Africa)
Best Planting Time: Spring and early summer
Active Growth: Spring and summer
Flowering Time: Spring to summer, often with repeat flowering in warm conditions
Climate Suitability: Best suited to warm, frost-free or mild frost regions in South Africa
Frost Tolerance: Sensitive to heavy frost; light frost may damage growth
Wind Tolerance: Best in a sheltered position
🌼 Additional Benefits
• Unique flowers that change colour
• Lightly fragrant blooms
• Evergreen foliage in mild climates
• Excellent feature shrub for shaded gardens
• Long-lasting ornamental appeal
🌿 Ideal Uses
✔ Shaded shrub borders
✔ Courtyard gardens
✔ Patio containers
✔ Fragrant entrance planting
✔ Tropical and subtropical garden designs