Brunfelsia pauciflora comes from the subtropical woodlands of Brazil and carries that origin in its preference for warmth, humidity, and acidic, humus-rich soil. The name Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow refers precisely to its most arresting quality: flowers that open as deep purple, shift to soft lavender on the second day, and become white by the third, so that at any moment a single plant displays three distinct tones from the same flush. The flat-faced blooms, each with five wavy overlapping petals and a white throat, appear in clusters through spring and early summer, with repeat flowering possible through the year under favorable conditions.

In North Carolina it needs winter protection indoors, receiving at least three hours of daily sun and evenly moist (not wet) soil through its dormant period. Prune lightly after flowering to encourage the new growth on which fresh blooms appear; heavier reshaping is better left to autumn. Outdoors in zones 9 to 11 it grows as a substantial shrub, reaching 3 to 8 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide, suitable as a screen, hedge, or specimen. Deer avoid it. The entire plant is toxic to humans, dogs, cats, and horses, particularly the berries; gloves are advisable when pruning, as the sap can irritate skin.