Some flowers in nature have very curious names. One of them is the "yesterday-today-tomorrow" flower. In Bangladesh it is called Bichitra; in English it is known as the yesterday-today-tomorrow flower, and its scientific name is Brunfelsia.

The flower is native to South America and grows especially well in the warm climate of Brazil. It is now popular in many countries. In Bangladesh it can be seen in various botanical gardens and hobby gardens, and it is also sold at nurseries, with prices starting from Tk 200.

The plant, of the Brunfelsia genus, is medium-sized and usually grows to 3 to 4 feet. The flowers are small but bloom in clusters. Their scent is lightly sweet, but the main attraction is the sequence of colours.

The flower's remarkable feature is its ability to change colour. Usually a flower blooms, matures and falls in the same colour. The yesterday-today-tomorrow flower, however, takes a different colour each day. It stays in bloom for up to three days and changes colour every day.

When the flower first opens it is deep purple, which stands for yesterday. On the second day the purple turns a light lavender, the colour of today. On the third day the flower becomes almost white, a greyish white that symbolises tomorrow.

When flowers of all three colours bloom on the same plant together, the sight is striking. The flower is more than a play of colours: each stage reminds us of the importance of time, and that everything is fleeting. The yesterday-today-tomorrow flower seems to remind us that time passes, but time has a beauty of its own.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.