Brunfelsia
Genus: Brunfelsia
Common Name: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
Family: Solanaceae
Appearance: Bushy shrubs or small trees with light to deep green leaves.
Flowers: Tubular scented flowers mostly in spring.
Features: Ornamental hedging plants with colourful scented flowers. Good specimen plants.
Requirements: Well drained, fertile soil preferred. Neutral to slightly acidic soil. Likes soil to be kept slightly cool, so mulching is important. Not tolerant of sea breezes. Frosts tolerated by some species.
Culture: Sunny or shaded, warm districts preferred. Prune to keep plant thick and hedge-like, and encourages new healthy growth and good flowering next season. Regular general fertiliser with trace elements will prevent leaf discolouration. Propagated by seeds and cuttings. Purpling of foliage is caused by cold temperatures - additions of potassium tends to reduce colouration.
Pest & Disease: Grasshoppers - use carbaryl or diazinon.
Species & Varieties:
About 40 species, including:
B. americana -To 2.5m, glossy yellow-green leaves with yellow flowers highly fragrant at night. Likes full sun.
B. densiflora -To 2m, with glossy foliage, tubular flowers cream yellow to orange colour, fragrant at night.
B. latifolia (B. Francicisea) -To 2m, prefers filtered sunlight sites, fragrant violet flower from winter to summer which fade to white.
B. nitida -To 1.8m with fragrant white and yellow-orange flowers.
B. pauciflora (B. calycina) -Popular species with several named cultivars, commonly to 2m, flowers can be multi coloured starting deep purple and fading to white as they age, flowers are fragrant.
B. australis (syn. B. paraguayensis) -Smaller leaf specimen with purple flowers which fade to white.
Want to Learn More?
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In Australia: www.acs.edu.au/Courses/horti.aspx
In the UK: www.acsedu.co.uk/Courses/horti.aspx
Tropical Plants Course: www.hortcourses.com/courses/tropical-plants-bht234-404.aspx