Yesterday-today-and-tomorrow

Brunfelsia pauciflora

Brazilian evergreen shrub with flowers that open deep violet-purple ("yesterday"), age to pale lavender ("today"), and fade to white ("tomorrow") over a 3-day cycle, with all three colours visible simultaneously.

Hardiness ratings

Yesterday-today-and-tomorrow hardiness across the four zone systems
SystemRatingTemperature rangeHow to read it
USDA hardiness zone Zone 9–11 −6.7 °C to 10 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone
RHS hardiness rating H2 1 °C to 5 °C Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance
Canadian plant hardiness zone Zone 9 −1 °C and warmer Plant tolerates down to this zone
Australian (ANBG) zone Zone 3–6 −5 °C to 15 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone

Growing notes

  • Native to the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil
  • Distinct flower colour-change through 3 days is the defining ornamental feature
  • Demands acidic soil and humid conditions — chlorotic on alkaline soils
  • Not reliably hardy outdoors in Canada — Canadian zone values shown represent the system maximum and do not imply garden cultivation north of the warmest coastal pockets.

Pet caution: Yesterday-today-and-tomorrow is listed as potentially harmful to cats and/or dogs. Keep pets from grazing on it, and contact a vet if you suspect your animal has eaten some.

Categories

Related plants

Cross-check Yesterday-today-and-tomorrow against your zones

Reference

Yesterday-today-and-tomorrow on Wikipedia