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Plant care

Yesterday-Today-and-Tomorrow (Morning-noon-and-night) care

Brunfelsia pauciflora

Also called Yesterday-today-and-tomorrow, Morning-noon-and-night, Kiss-me-quick, Lady-of-the-night, Franciscan rain tree.

USDA 9-11Toxic to petsIndoor Typically 3-8 ft (1-2.5 m) tall and wide as a shrub outdoors

Watering rhythm

Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)

Keep evenly moist; water when the top of the soil starts to dry, roughly 1-2x per week in growth.

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Light

Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)

Soil

Rich, well-draining, moisture-retentive acidic mix

Humidity

50-70% (high)

Temp

15-27C

Pet safety

Toxic to pets

Mature size

Typically 3-8 ft (1-2.5 m) tall and wide as a shrub outdoors

Care at a glance

Light

In the wild yesterday-today-and-tomorrow grows on the bright edge of a forest canopy, not in the canopy and not in the open. Indoors, that translates to within a metre of an unobstructed window, sheer curtain optional. Wants bright light with three to four hours of sun; protect from harsh midday full sun, which scorches foliage. Indoors, place at a bright east or filtered south window. Too little light sharply reduces flowering. The fastest test: a hand held at the leaf casts a soft-edged shadow at noon — sharp shadow means too much sun, no shadow means too little light.

Watering

Aim for keep evenly moist; water when the top of the soil starts to dry, roughly 1-2x per week in growth. for yesterday-today-and-tomorrow, but treat that as a starting point rather than a rule. A south-facing summer windowsill will dry the pot twice as fast as a north-facing winter room. Lift the pot; if it feels noticeably lighter than it did wet, water it. Maintain consistently moist (never soggy) soil during active growth, easing back slightly in winter. Do not let the rootball dry out completely, as this triggers bud and leaf drop. Use rainwater or filtered water where possible to preserve soil acidity.

Soil and pot

Yesterday-Today-and-Tomorrow grows best in rich, well-draining, moisture-retentive acidic mix. Prefers slightly acidic soil just below pH 7. Use a loamy mix amended with peat moss, composted bark or pine needles plus perlite for drainage. Alkaline soil causes iron chlorosis (yellowing leaves); correct with chelated iron. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Yesterday-Today-and-Tomorrow sits happiest at around 50-70% (high) humidity and 15-27C (60-80F). A humidity-loving tropical. Indoors, stand the pot on a moist pebble tray, group with other plants or run a humidifier. Dry indoor air encourages leaf drop and spider mites. If you keep the room above 15 year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed yesterday-today-and-tomorrow sparingly. Feed during spring and summer only with a balanced water-soluble fertiliser (such as 10-10-10): full strength monthly for garden plants, or diluted to half strength every two weeks for container plants. Avoid excess nitrogen, which favours leaves over flowers. An acid-formulated feed helps maintain low soil pH. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on yesterday-today-and-tomorrow in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

  • Yellowing leaves (iron chlorosis) — Caused by soil that is too alkaline or hard tap water. Acidify the mix with peat, bark or pine needles and apply chelated iron; switch to rainwater or filtered water.
  • Bud and flower drop — Usually from the rootball drying out, sudden temperature swings, draughts or moving the plant while in bud. Keep moisture and temperature steady and avoid relocating it during flowering.
  • Few or no flowers — Too little light or excess nitrogen drives leafy growth at the expense of blooms. Give brighter light, use a balanced feed and allow a cooler winter rest to set spring buds.
  • Spider mites and aphids — Dry indoor air invites spider mites (fine webbing, stippled leaves); aphids cluster on new growth. Raise humidity, rinse foliage and treat with insecticidal soap or neem oil.
  • Leaf scorch — Harsh, unfiltered midday sun bleaches or browns the foliage. Provide bright but filtered light and shield from intense afternoon sun, especially behind glass.

Propagation

Propagate from softwood tip cuttings in spring. Take 8-13 cm (3-5 in) cuttings of new growth, dip in rooting hormone and insert into a moist peat-and-perlite (or coarse sand) mix. Enclose in a propagator or clear bag in bright, filtered light; roots and new growth usually appear in four to six weeks, after which you can begin regular watering and feeding. Rooting can be slow. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Yesterday-Today-and-Tomorrow is toxic to pets. The ASPCA individually lists Yesterday-today-and-tomorrow (Brunfelsia species, family Solanaceae) as toxic to dogs, cats and horses, with the toxic principle brunfelsamidine. All parts are poisonous and the berries are the most dangerous; ingestion can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, tremors and seizures lasting several days, so keep it well away from pets. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Yesterday-Today-and-Tomorrow care — frequently asked questions

What is the common name for Brunfelsia pauciflora?

Brunfelsia pauciflora is most commonly called Yesterday-Today-and-Tomorrow, but it is also known as Yesterday-today-and-tomorrow, Morning-noon-and-night, Kiss-me-quick, Lady-of-the-night, Franciscan rain tree. The names refer to the same species, so care instructions for Yesterday-Today-and-Tomorrow apply identically to anything sold as Morning-noon-and-night.

How much light does yesterday-today-and-tomorrow need?

Yesterday-Today-and-Tomorrow grows best in bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window). Wants bright light with three to four hours of sun; protect from harsh midday full sun, which scorches foliage. Indoors, place at a bright east or filtered south window. Too little light sharply reduces flowering.

How often should I water yesterday-today-and-tomorrow?

Water yesterday-today-and-tomorrow keep evenly moist; water when the top of the soil starts to dry, roughly 1-2x per week in growth.. Maintain consistently moist (never soggy) soil during active growth, easing back slightly in winter. Do not let the rootball dry out completely, as this triggers bud and leaf drop. Use rainwater or filtered water where possible to preserve soil acidity. The finger-test (or lifting the pot to feel its weight) beats a fixed weekly calendar because pot size, light, and season all change how fast the soil dries.

Is yesterday-today-and-tomorrow toxic to cats and dogs?

Yesterday-Today-and-Tomorrow is toxic to pets. The ASPCA individually lists Yesterday-today-and-tomorrow (Brunfelsia species, family Solanaceae) as toxic to dogs, cats and horses, with the toxic principle brunfelsamidine. All parts are poisonous and the berries are the most dangerous; ingestion can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, tremors and seizures lasting several days, so keep it well away from pets.

What USDA hardiness zone does yesterday-today-and-tomorrow grow in?

Yesterday-Today-and-Tomorrow is rated for USDA zone 9-11 (grown outdoors year-round); elsewhere grown as a container/conservatory plant and overwintered indoors. Outside that range, grow it as a container plant that overwinters indoors before the first hard frost.

Yesterday-Today-and-Tomorrow deep-dive guides

Every aspect of yesterday-today-and-tomorrow care, each with its own calibrated guide:

Related guides

Yesterday-Today-and-Tomorrow is also known as Yesterday-today-and-tomorrow, Morning-noon-and-night, Kiss-me-quick, Lady-of-the-night, and Franciscan rain tree.