Tree Tuesday: Brunfelsia latifolia - Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow/Kiss me Quick

I love being greeted at my front door by the sweet smell of the Brunfelsia flowers in spring and summer. Not only do they fill the air with their pleasant fragrance but also adorns my garden with colour.

The Brunfelsia Latifolia is a small, tropical perennial tree with two-inch blooms native to Brazil. There are over 40 species of Brunfelsia. The tree is covered during spring and beginning of summer with multicoloured clusters of sweet smelling fragrant flowers.

The flowers only last for three days, each day the bloom turns a different colour. The first day – purple (yesterday), second day – lavender (today), and the third day – white (tomorrow). In autumn, they form brown berries and each seed pod has about 15-20 seeds. Each tree reaches a height of up to 2 meters tall.

Unfortunately, the seeds of this plant contain poisonous alkaloids, special care should be taken in households with young children and pets.

In South Africa, September is the beginning of spring and you can see on this photo, a 2 meter tall tree covered in blossoms from top straight down to the bottom. We haven't had any rain yet and we still have brown winter grass.

They thrive in warmer tropical climates, needs partial shade, acidic soil and quite a bit of water. In the colder regions, you can plant them in pots and keep them indoors. After flowering, they need a trim to keep the tree tidy and bushy. You can propagate this tree in summer by using tip cuttings.

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