October 30th, 2004
Brugmansia

photo: Brugmansia 20021116
2004-10-29. Brugmansia

2004
This Brugmansia just gets better every year. It’s almost 5 feet tall now, and would no doubt be happier if it got more summer sun. After the fall equinox, when the sun begins to shine on the south side of the house, the brugmansia produces its first flowers of the season. I’d like to move it, as it is strangled by two climbing roses and a hyacinth bean vine. I’ll try to root some more cuttings instead. (Wow, having a better camera than I did two years ago is nice, too.)

photo: Brugmansia 20041029
2004-10-29. Brugmansia

2002
I thought this Brugmansia would never open its flowers. I took a cutting right before a hard freeze two years ago and rooted it. After my third attempt to root a cutting, I planted a 18 inch tall plant in the winter garden on October 1, 2000. It has died back two winters, but survived. This year it grew to about 3 feet tall. It suffers terribly in the summer heat and from grasshoppers and beetles munching on the leaves. This is the first time it has had a number of flowers, and the first flower to survive the bugs long enough to open.

photo: Brugmansia 20021116
2002-11-16. Brugmansia

by M Sinclair Stevens

17 Responses to post “Brugmansia”

  1. From Meri Lynn Dole:

    Do you only have one variety of brugs?

  2. From mstevens:

    Yes, I have only this one variety, which I got from a cutting. I had a couple of different Datura, though. I found a great book Brugmansia and Datura: Angel’s Trumpets and Thorn Apples on both types of plants that has lots of photos and botanical and historical information.

  3. From William Hyland:

    I was in San Antonio in mid-October and stopped at the Botanical Garden. The Garden Club was selling large Brugmansia’s and I bought one for the low price of $12. The SA Botanical Garden had 5-6 Brugmansia’s in various places in the garden and they looked great. Dropped the Brugmansia into my SW Austin backyard and it seems to be doing well, continuing to flower. I also just took 3 cuttings and am attempting to root those now for planting in the spring. I’m hoping the poisonous nature of this plant will allow me to site in the front yard where deer browse – assuming I can get them through the winter…

  4. From Julie (Austin):

    Hello, and what a beautiful site this is!

    I live in Austin, have my first ever brugmansia plant in a big (heavy) pot and am wondering how I need to care for the plant as temps dip toward freezing. Can you advise me?

    I wrap the trunk with floating row cover and lay it over the top. Most years, the leaves freeze off, but the trunk survives. — mss

  5. From Janet:

    I heard these are quite fragrant. Do they attract bees or wasps?

  6. From Wanda F. Hart:

    I just got a small ‘Adora’. I put it in a pot for now. This is my first and I don’t know if this particular one can take sun or where should I put it. Can you help?

    Never heard of a brugmansia that didn’t like sun. Watch out for those freezes, though. — mss

  7. From Suzane Faulkner (North Carolina):

    My brother just gave me a brugmansia. I live in the piedmont area of North Carolina. Do theses plants like sun or shade? Can they stay out all winter? I have been searching the net all morning and can find no information on planting and care guides.

    This is such an interesting plant i want to do right by it. how tall do they get?

    New brugmansia fan,
    suzanne

  8. From Barbara:

    A good place to start is the guest forum at http://www.americanbrugmansia-daturasociety.org/

    They are happy to give tips and advice to non-members.

    Depending on the kind of plant and your growing conditions, these plants can become small trees of up to 25-30 feet.

    Also, if the weather gets extremely hot and humid where you are, the best location would be one of morning sun and afternoon shade. Or at the very least, partial shade. Remember to water daily and fertilize and heavily every month.

  9. From Dana Anderson:

    My daughter inherited a brugmansia. She did not get much information o. it’s care. We live in Minnesota (zone 3-4), so I assume that care of the plant may be different than in warmer zones. I brought the plant indoors before the first hard frost, but it suffered complete foliage loss in a string of hail storms, and rebounded fantastically. Does the plant need to “rest”, or can I keep it going in a nice sunny spot?

  10. From Helen:

    I have just purchased a brugmansia..I live in Powell Riv)er, British Columbia (On the Sunshine Coast) I am wondering what I have to do to winter this beautiful plant. It is about 4 feet tall..the leaves are starting to drop and I am only watering enough to keep it moist. Can I re-pot it at this time?

    Any help will be very appreciated.

  11. From Cindy Thiessen:

    I just got a trumphet plant from my sister and I am trying to decide where to plant it and if I should use a trellis. She has a huge one in her back yard. We live West of Houston,TX about 50 miles and I’m not sure what zone that is. Anything you can tell me will help.

  12. From ed:

    Some one told me the trumphet plant it can be poisonous to dogs,… is there something to be concerned about with this plant, i love the plant and how it looks but am more concerned about my dogs health, them being small weiner dogs..

    thanks for any feedback,

  13. From Rose:

    Just purchased my first brugmansia — planted in a pot. I live in the Inland Empire of Calif. Summer has been 110 degrees. Having a difficult time with insects (grasshoppers/mites). I made an awful mistake spraying the plant with malathion. Leaves turning spotted yellow. Some kind of small, black spider mite creating silvery web all over. Washed it down; took off damaged leaves; fed it with Shultz liquid. New sprouts have appeared, so it isn’t dead! What should I use to combat insects?

  14. From Donna Mae:

    I live in the central San Juaquin Valley in California. A few days ago I noticed a very large, fully bloomed plant in the corner of the front yard of a house down the street from me.

    The big yellow blossoms are georgous so I waited until . saw someone home to ask about it. As I approched the house I notice a wonderful smell. The lady of the house told me that the smell was the plant that I so much admired. Then she told me that it was called an ‘Angel Trumphet’. She also said that she would be getting some doubles as well. She also said that they come in different colors.

    Before I left she said that she would give me some cuttings when the time came. I can’t wait!

    Georgous flowers and great scent!

  15. From Jim C. charlotte,NC:

    I was given this plant early spring, and it didn’t look like much, however, when july 1st rolled around it shot-up and started to bloom, mid august i counted 100 blooms and it was at 8-foot tall. my neighbor that gave it to me was very amazed, hers had only gotten to be about 4-foot. this is a truely amazing plant. note, my blooms start out yellow, but turn an amazing pink and the permume is overwhelming in the evening.

  16. From Joe Bedell, Austin, TX:

    Would anyone be interested in swapping Brugmansia cuttings (rooted or not) and/or seeds? I can offer datura, caesalpinia and other seeds and plants of several kinds.

    I’m listed in the phone book.

    Thanks.

  17. From Ken Sawka/Vancouver B.C.:

    I have a in the ground and want to winter it there. how do I protect it outside