Lady's Slipper Plant Care

Lady's Slipper (Brunfelsia uniflora) belongs to the Solanaceae family within the Brunfelsia genus. Lady's Slipper is native to Monos island of Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, the Venezuelan Antilles, Guyana, Brazil, and northwest Argentina, and has been introduced to eastern Tropical Africa, Réunion, Mauritius, India, and Assam. Lady's Slipper is also known as Yesterday Today Tomorrow, Morning Noon Night.

Lady's Slipper displays a bushy shrub with upright habit growth habit, reaching up to 5 ft tall with a spread of approximately 3 ft. Lady's Slipper produces fragrant, trumpet-shaped flowers that change color from purple to white.

Leaf size: approximately 4 inches.

Water a young or newly planted Lady's Slipper every 7–10 days, soaking the whole root zone, until it is established — usually one to two growing seasons. Established trees mainly need water during long dry spells. In a container, water whenever the top few centimetres of soil are dry.

Lady's Slipper thrives in bright indirect light. Avoid placing Lady's Slipper in direct, harsh sunlight for extended periods, as this can scorch the foliage.

Brunfelsia uniflora tolerates temperatures of 60–80°F. Lady's Slipper prefers humidity levels of 50–70%. A pebble tray or humidifier helps maintain adequate moisture around the plant.

Well-draining, fertile soil with added compost for Brunfelsia. Good drainage is essential for Lady's Slipper to prevent waterlogging, which leads to root rot and fungal issues.

Feed Lady's Slipper every 6 months during the growing season with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer at the rate on the label. Established trees in good soil often need little extra feeding, so let weak growth or pale foliage guide you.

Stop feeding by late summer so new growth can harden before winter.

The PlantoScan app can remind you when to water and when to fertilize each plant.

Choose a spot with bright indirect light and well-draining, fertile soil with added compost for Brunfelsia. Avoid low spots where water collects after rain.

Lady's Slipper is suited to USDA Zone 9b – 11b.

Plant container-grown or balled-and-burlapped trees in spring or early autumn, setting the root flare at soil level, and water well after planting.

Lady's Slipper can spread to about 3 ft (0.9 m) and reach about 5 ft (2 m) tall. Space plants about 3 ft (0.9 m) apart so mature crowns don't crowd each other, and plant at least half that distance from buildings, fences and paths.

Planning a row or hedge? Try the tree spacing calculator.

Prune Lady's Slipper while it is dormant in late winter: first remove dead, damaged and crossing branches, then thin lightly for shape.

If it flowers in spring, prune right after flowering instead so you don't remove next year's buds. Never take off more than about a quarter of the tree in one year.

Lady's Slipper is frost-tender (hardy to USDA zone 9). In colder areas grow it in a container and move it to a bright, frost-free place before the first frost.

Lady's Slipper can be propagated through softwood cuttings, seeds. Similar propagation techniques also apply to yesterday plant care, which shares the same genus.

See all plants toxic to cats and plants toxic to dogs.

Lady's Slipper is susceptible to aphids, spider mites, whiteflies. Inspect the foliage regularly, especially along leaf undersides and stems. Treat infestations promptly with insecticidal soap or neem oil to prevent spread.

Yellow leaves, brown tips or drooping? See common plant problems and how to fix them.

Lady's Slipper grows outdoors in USDA Zone 9b – 11b. It survives winters down to planting zone 9b. Lady's Slipper is native to Monos island of Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, the Venezuelan Antilles, Guyana, Brazil, and northwest Argentina, and has been introduced to eastern Tropical Africa, Réunion, Mauritius, India, and Assam. In cooler regions, grow Lady's Slipper as a houseplant or bring it indoors before the first frost.