Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow


The hot season’s here! The Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow is in flower! Check the picture of this shrub at Chanters Lodge, Livingstone. Here’s all about it!

Brunfelsia pauciflora

Yesterday-today-and-tomorrow’s flowers are purple when they first bloom. Then over a period of several days they fade through a progression of blues and lavenders until they are pure white – then they turn brown and die (the day after tomorrow?)

The pansy-like flowers have white throats, are about 5 cm across and borne in profuse clusters (cymes, actually) of up to 10 blossoms, displayed all over the plant. Flowers of all three colors are present from spring through the end of summer. Yesterday-today-and-tomorrow gets 3-8 ft (0.9-2.4 m) tall with several stems, an open, airy habit, and a spread of 2-5 ft (0.6-1.5 m). The leaves are leathery and semi-evergreen, 3-6 in (8-16 cm) long, dark green above and pale beneath.

Several cultivars are available: ‘Eximia’ is the most typical form, commonly found in cultivation and usually referred to simply as yesterday-today-and-tomorrow. ‘Floribunda’ is smaller with more abundant flowers, and ‘Macrantha’ has larger flowers and is lacking the white throat.

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