For the next several GardenLine Friday Profiles, my goal is to suggest some plants that can be planted right now, in November. And, yes, you'll be able to plant them in the spring and summer, too
While they may not look particularly attractive right after a hard freeze, I promise that all of them will have a "bounce-back ability" that helps them revive as soon as spring arrives. They should also bloom right away.
A great example of a plant that doesn’t have the best bounce-back ability is the hibiscus! Sure, it can handle very light freezes, but if it gets below 25 degrees for several hours and a hibiscus isn’t well-protected, it will freeze down to the ground. And while it will grow back from the roots, it can take six months to bloom again. That, to me, would be the polar opposite of bounce-back ability.
So today, I give you the Brunfelsia pauciflora … more commonly known as the Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow plant. I decided to profile this one first because, for some peculiar coincidence, I have seen it on three of my last five on-site consulting jobs. (Randy Lemmon Consulting is a side hustle of mine.)
The Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow is a true a one-of-a-kind landscape specimen. There is actually nothing quite like it. This profuse bloomer lives up to its name by opening deep violet, turning to light violet, then white, all in three days! It prefers filtered light or, as some call it, dappled shade. And it can make a great border plant, covered in blooms. The flowers are also quite fragrant. I can’t tell you exactly what they smell like, but it’s a sweet aroma that I thoroughly enjoy. It’s most fragrant in the evening.
This plant makes my list of bounce-back-from-winter plants because it’s supposed to withstand temperatures as low as 25 degrees without looking damaged. So, even if we get hit with a freeze and you forget to cover it or something silly like that, it may look ragged in December and January, but it will come roaring back in the spring. There is one caveat, though: If you think they might face a true frost or get covered with ice, it’s worth throwing a sheet over them. Nevertheless, when they bounce back in the spring (and they always do), just prune them back past any damaged wood.
RELATED:
PHOTOS: Getty Images