HOMESTYLE
Brunfelsia's perfume an evening delight
By Heidi Bornhorst
I was taking my evening stress-relieving, seratonin-building walk (and enjoying the scenery, too) when I caught a whiff of a most delightful fragrance. I retraced my steps, found the plant, inhaled deeply of the mysterious fragrance and felt great.
Below: Brunfelsia's fragrance is at its best in the evening. The plants can be grown from seeds or cuttings, and will grow into substantial shrubs.
I was so happy to see a large specimen of this delightfully different, old-fashioned, evening-fragrant plant.
Above: Brunfelsia flowers come in varied colors: yellow, purple and white on the same plant.
A delight to the gardener, and to those of us lucky enough to stroll by with the right breezes blowing, is brunfelsia, which also goes by many other, more poetic names:Êlady of the night; yesterday, today and tomorrow; and dame del nocha. There are about 20 different species, with variously colored flowers and slightly different perfumes.
We love fragrant plants in Hawai'i and are blessed with many. In the daytime, Brunfelsia has these cool flowers in varied colors: yellow, white and purple on the same plant. There is no real suggestion that this would be a fragrant plant, it is colorful as it is.ÊThe fruit is cute, too: a dryish, orange berry.
I think the evening fragrance is a reward for how hard we all work to enjoy living here. We love fragrant plants in Hawai'i and are blessed with many.
This plant grows at Foster Botanical Garden, up by the restrooms. We also have a whole collection of different brunfelsia species growing in the tropical American section at Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden, near the lake called Waimaluhia (peaceful waters), and they still happily grow in many old-fashioned gardens.
Brunfelsia is in the Solanaceae family along with tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant and kikania. It is native to tropical America.
It can be grown from seeds or cuttings.ÊWith time the plant can become a large shrub, up to eight feet tall.ÊGrow a plant from a friend's garden, or ask for this plant at your favorite garden shop or local nursery. It is well worth growing and inhaling!
Heidi Bornhorst is director of Honolulu's botanical gardens. Reach her by e-mail at islandlife @honoluluadvertiser.com.
