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Brunfelsia – “Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow” – Growing and Care

Brunfelsia pauciflora
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Brunfelsia, also called “Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow”, is a nice blooming shrub.

Key Brunfelsia facts

NameBrunfelsia pauciflora
FamilySolanaceae or nightshade
Type – shrub

Exposure – full sun, part sun
Soil – rich enough
Height – 20 to 40 inches (50 to 100 cm)

Foliage – evergreen or deciduous depending on the climate
Flowering – Summer

This amazing plant changes the colors of its flowers in three short days, shifting from violet to white. It also bears beautiful evergreen leafage.

Planting Brunfelsia

Brunfelsia careIt is a good idea to plant in spring, preferably in a pot so that you may bring it indoors.

Indeed, this shrub fears freezing, so you’ll have to set it up over the winter in a room where temperatures don’t drop below around 50°F (10°C).

It’s very difficult to grow it year-round inside a house or apartment because the air is much too dry indoors.

Pruning and caring for Brunfelsia

How to prune your Brunfelsia

Brunfelsia careIf you wish to reduce or reshape the shrub, wait for the blooming to end and cut the stems back by half.

In order to increase the blooming, you may add rose tree fertilizer once a week during the blooming season.

An annual repotting in spring is almost mandatory for all your Brunfelsia that are confined to pots.

Brunfelsia in winter

Unless you live in a tropical region where the winter weather is very mild, you’ll have to find a way to protect your shrub in winter.

In fall, it is best to bring your brunfelsia inside, because it is vulnerable to the cold and would fare best in a well-lit spot where the temperature never drops below 50°F (10°C).

Water as little as possible over the winter.

Watering Brunfelsia

It is important to water regularly, with lukewarm water. However, don’t water too much, but water regularly all summer long.

It’s always better to water in the evening so that water isn’t lost through evaporation.

The ideal setting for your brunfelsia is in a pot that is rested on a bed of gravel. The gravel or clay pebbles are stacked in a water retention plate which is always filled with water, while the pot stays in the dry.

This water around the clay marbles evaporates and gives the plant the moisture it requires. Here’s an example of clay marbles used to create air moisture.

Most common diseases and parasites

The leaves turn white or lose their color

Your soil around the plant is probably too chalky. Provide heath or liquid iron sulfate as a remedy for this.

Most common Brunfelsia parasites

Aphids can be quite devastating and their leaves turn sticky and gooey. Here is a link with advice against aphids.

Red spider mites might be found hiding on the undersides of leaves and can also wreck havoc. Treat them with a mite-killer or special red spider mite spray.

Learn more about Brunfelsia

Brunfelsia hedgeThis very beautiful Latin American shrub owes its nickname to the changing colors of its flowers, which shift from violet or purple to blue to white in barely three days.

The genus comprises about thirty different species which are all native to tropical American and Antilles forests.

The scientific name of the plant relates to a famous German botanist, Otto Brunfels.

Every part of the Brunfelsia plant is poisonous, it must be handled with care.
Read also:

Smart tip about Brunfelsia

Adding organic fertilizer in spring will enhance its bloom.


Image credits (edits Gaspard Lorthiois):
CC BY 2.0: Carl Lewis
CC BY-SA 2.0: Alejandro Bayer Tamayo
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  • Mantie Stapelberg wrote on 17 January 2022 at 10 h 00 min

    Thanks a lot. I’ll do an inspection and take the necessary action.

    • Gaspard wrote on 17 January 2022 at 10 h 16 min

      Sure thing!

  • Mantie Stapelberg wrote on 15 January 2022 at 14 h 36 min

    I live in the Western Cape, South Africa. My Brunfelsia is doing fine, except for some of the foliage curling. What could be the cause?

    Thanks!

    • Gaspard wrote on 17 January 2022 at 8 h 24 min

      Hi Mantie, it could be one of several things. First, I’d suspect red spider mites: when they feed in large numbers, they drain leaves of their sap and the tissue collapses, curling the leaves. The same is true of thrips. Occasionally, scale insects produce the same result, too. Usually, all of the above also change the color of leaves: yellow for mites and scale insects, silvery-white for thrips.

      Some species of butterflies have caterpillars that wrap themselves up in leaves for protection when they’re forming their cocoon. This is easy to check for.

      If there are no bugs present, large or small, then possibly a disease is infecting the plant. Fungal diseases have a variety of consequences. Curling occurs in some cases, much like peach leaf curl, but for Brunfelsia not much is documented yet.

      Normally, lack or excess water shouldn’t lead to curling, so that can be ruled out.