The mystery of Yesterday, Today, & Tomorrow

About 5 years ago I saw and smelled a wonderful new plant in my sister’s neighbor’s yard. I did a little research and it turns out it was Yesterday, Today, & Tomorrow. A wonderful shrub-like plant with dark purple, light purple, and white blooms. The scent was heavenly. So, I kept an eye out for it at the garden centers. I bought a couple at one local garden center and planted them where I thought they would get full sun. However, there were a couple of banana trees nearby that quickly put them in the shade. I figured they were duds, but I left them there. The next summer, I was at another garden center and saw them again. I bought one for my Dad this time. His bloomed last year, but there was no scent. I couldn’t believe it! But, it looked like the same flowers I had seen a few years earlier.

This spring, I was at a charity bicycle ride sponsored by Brookwood Community Center. They have a garden center where they sell plants and garden art. Lo and behold, there it was, Yesterday, Today, & Tomorrow in bloom, and yes it had a scent. OK, I thought to myself, finally I have the right plant. So I bought a couple.

You may remember from my earlier posts, that we had a harsh winter. The banana plants are still alive, but they are less than a foot tall right now. Remember, those plants I bought that never bloomed? Well, they are blooming now, but they have no scent.

So, what’s the deal?

After a little research, I have found that not all Brunsfelsias are scented, however it seems that most are marketed as Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow. So, be careful when purchasing this plant, this is one of those times it pays to know the scientific names.

By the way, the one I have that is scented is Brunsfelsia pauciflora floribunda.