The Brunfelsia pauciflora plant, commonly called “Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow,” is a tropical shrub native to the light woodlands of Brazil. This member of the Solanaceae family is prized for its fragrant flowers that change color over a three-day period. While it grows large in its native habitat, it is a popular potted specimen in non-tropical climates. Its glossy, leathery leaves provide an attractive backdrop to the unique blooms.
Understanding the Color Transformation
The plant earns its common name from the three-day color change of its blossoms, resulting from the active degradation of specific pigments within the petals. When a flower first opens, it displays a deep violet-purple hue due to a high concentration of anthocyanin pigments. On the second day, the concentration of these pigments decreases, causing the color to fade to a lighter shade of lavender or pale blue. By the third day, the majority of the anthocyanins have broken down, leaving the flower almost completely white before it eventually senesces. The simultaneous presence of flowers in all three color stages creates a multi-hued display.
Daily Care Requirements
Providing the correct environment is necessary for the Brunfelsia pauciflora to thrive and produce blooms. This shrub requires bright, indirect sunlight to support abundant flowering, but protect it from harsh midday sun, especially during summer. An east-facing window or a south-facing window with sheer curtain filtration is ideal for indoor specimens.
The plant needs consistently moist soil, mimicking its native habitat, but the soil should never be saturated or waterlogged. Allow the top half-inch of the potting mix to dry slightly between waterings to prevent root rot. The plant prefers warm conditions, ideally between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit during its active growth period.
Maintaining adequate humidity is important, as low humidity can lead to browning leaf edges and a higher risk of spider mites. Placing the pot on a shallow tray filled with pebbles and water, ensuring the pot bottom does not sit in the water, helps increase moisture around the foliage.
Potting and Long-Term Maintenance
Choosing the correct potting medium and container is a foundational step in the long-term care of this acid-loving plant. Brunfelsia pauciflora requires a highly acidic soil mixture, ideally with a pH below 7, to prevent the yellowing of leaves known as chlorosis. A specialized mix for acid-loving plants, often containing components like peat moss, pine bark fines, and perlite, provides the necessary acidity and excellent drainage. When selecting a pot, ensure it has ample drainage holes.
The plant often flowers best when its roots are somewhat confined, meaning it does not always require a large up-sizing during repotting. Repotting should be considered every one to two years in the spring, but often only to refresh the exhausted potting mix with new, acidic material. If the root mass is dense, a light root-pruning can be performed before placing the plant back into the same-sized pot with fresh soil.
Feeding is best accomplished using a liquid fertilizer formulated for acid-loving plants, such as those designed for rhododendrons or azaleas, applied every two to four weeks during the spring and summer growing seasons. Pruning should be done immediately after a major flush of blooms has finished to encourage a denser, bushier shape and promote the development of new flowering wood for the next cycle.
Troubleshooting and Common Pests
Several common issues can arise when growing Brunfelsia pauciflora, with a lack of blooming being a frequent concern attributed to insufficient light or improper fertilization. If the plant is not producing flowers, it indicates that the light is too dim or the fertilizer ratio is too high in nitrogen, which promotes leafy growth at the expense of floral development. For a specimen with dense foliage but few flowers, switching to a fertilizer with a higher phosphorus content, such as a “bloom booster” formula, can help redirect the plant’s energy toward flower production. Leaf drop and root rot are symptoms of overwatering, which can be mitigated by ensuring excellent drainage and allowing the top layer of soil to dry slightly before rewatering.
Potted plants are susceptible to several common sap-sucking pests, including whiteflies, spider mites, and mealybugs. Whiteflies tend to congregate on the undersides of the leaves. Spider mites leave behind fine webbing near the leaf axils and cause a stippled, pale appearance on the foliage. Mealybugs appear as small, cottony masses in the nooks and crannies of the stems and leaves.
Minor infestations can often be managed by washing the foliage with a gentle stream of water or wiping the affected areas with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol. For more persistent problems, a horticultural oil, such as neem oil, or an insecticidal soap can be applied to the entire plant surface, paying close attention to the undersides of the leaves.