Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (Brunfelsia latifolia) earns its name honestly: every flower opens deep purple, fades to lavender the next day and finishes white, so a shrub in full flush carries all three colours at once. It grows to about 2m tall and 1.5m wide, and the scent on a warm spring evening carries a long way for a plant this size.

Why you'll love it

• Three colours on one plant. The purple to lavender to white change happens over about three days per flower, so the whole shrub reads as a colour gradient.
• Real fragrance. Sweet and strongest in the evening. Plant it near a window or the seat you actually use after dinner.
• A sensible size. At roughly 2m by 1.5m it fills a corner without taking over, one of the better feature shrubs for a small garden.
• Comfortable in heat and humidity. It keeps its foliage through a sticky summer instead of going ragged.
• Bees and butterflies find it. The open flowers are easy for pollinators.

Where it works best

Feature planting. Site this shrub deliberately rather than repeating it down a fence line. One well placed plant near an entry or a seating area puts the flowers and the scent where they count.

Pots and courtyards. It performs well in a 400mm or larger pot, which lets townhouse gardeners move it into view while it flowers.

Borders and groupings. Planting more than one, allow about 1.5m between plants so each keeps its rounded shape and gets enough light to flower through the shrub rather than only on top.

Growing Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the heaviest flowering, and a little afternoon shade suits it in hot inland gardens. This is a plant for tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens. It takes light frost only, so in cool temperate districts grow it against a warm wall or in a pot that can shift under cover.

Soil. Rich, free draining and slightly acidic. Work compost through the bed before planting and mulch 75mm deep, clear of the stem. Heavy clay needs a raised mound.

Water and feed. Water twice a week through the first summer, then deep soak in dry weather. It flowers best when it is not left to dry out while the buds are forming. Feed with a controlled release fertiliser in early spring and after the main flush.

Pruning. Prune straight after flowering, taking up to a third off to keep the shrub compact and build next season's wood. Pruning late removes the buds you have been waiting for.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in 140mm and 200mm sizes, supplied in packs. These are young plants: well rooted, single stemmed to lightly branched, and priced so filling a border does not cost a fortune. Expect a season of establishment before the first serious flowering.

Plants are packed to travel upright and delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Plant into a prepared bed and expect new growth within four to six weeks in warm weather. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse more fragrant plants
• Compare flowering shrubs for colour
• See the wider tropical plant range
• Planting ideas for small courtyards

Common questions

Why do the flowers change colour?

Pigment in the petals breaks down as each flower ages, moving from deep purple through lavender to white over roughly three days. Because flowers open in waves, the shrub carries all three shades at once.

Is it safe around dogs?

No. All parts of the plant are toxic to dogs and the berries are the most dangerous part. If you have a dog that chews plants, choose something else or site this shrub well outside the area the dog uses.

Why isn't mine flowering?

The two usual causes are too much shade and pruning at the wrong time. It needs good light to set buds, and those buds form on wood produced after the last flowering, so any trim after early summer cuts the next display off.