Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Saturday, Sunday and Monday? Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday? ALL of the days of the week at the moment, this beautiful shrub’s fragrance pervades the air. You get a whiff, and spin around, surely there’s one somewhere… I can smell it!

Yesterday, today and tomorrow, or Brunfelsia latifolia is an old-fashioned, evergreen, hardy shrub, to about 2m, good for hedging or random shrub planting, as they did in Grandma’s day. They are very common in my area, probably because a) they are reliable and b) we have lots of typical grandma houses around us. They have lost popularity mainly I believe due to the fact they are highly toxic to pets and children - the berries in particular. But if you have well trained pets and kids, or a safe place to plant it, I highly recommend you embrace your inner grandma.

Brunfelsia are a member of the solanaceae (nightshade/tomato) family. B. latifolia gets its common name from the flowers that start a dark purple colour, and fade to lilac, and then finally white. All three colours are on the plant at one time. There are other species in the genus that share the common name and have similar flower colours, with ranging intensities of fragrance. Species such as B. undulata (“White Caps”) have white-only scented flowers and B. Americana (“Lady of the Night”) has creamy white flowers that fade to pale yellow.

Members of Brunfelsia are used in traditional medicine by tribes in the Amazon and South America and are reported to be used as an additional ingredient in the hallucinogenic drink ayahuasca to increase its psychoactiveness. Having never heard of ayahuasca I did some quick research - it’s illegal in the U.S.A, can result in life-long changes and common side effects include vomiting and diarrhea. Not one to try at home! Yesterday, today, tomorrow as an ornamental, divinely fragrant, and easy care plant though? Definitley one to try!