Angels Trumpets – Brugmansia
Posted on | June 10, 2008 | 3 Comments
Latin name: Brugmansia
Description: These fabulous plants are a must for the exotic garden with their ridiculously large flowers. There are many species and countless cultivars worth trying in the garden. Often mistakenly called Datura, there is nothing like Brugmansia for scent. The name Angel’s Trumpet refers to the large, very dramatic, pendulous trumpet-shaped flowers 14–50cm long and 10–35cm across at the trumpet end. They can be white, yellow, pink, orange or red, single double or treble petalled. Most have an intense almost narcotic scent that pervades the garden in the evening.
Hardiness: Tender, must be brought into frost free conditions for the winter months, which is a small price to pay for such fabulous plants
Height: 5-10m in the wild, though more like 1.5-3m in temperate climates
Position: Full sun to light shade
Soil: Moist, humus rich, well drained soil
Water: This plant loves lots of water and without it they soon lose their leaves and look ill. If planted close to the house, let your bath water run over it
Usage: As a focal point or plant in an enclosed courtyard where you can enjoy the intense scent in the evening
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3 Responses to “Angels Trumpets – Brugmansia”
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September 8th, 2009 @ 3:16 pm
my angel trumpet ibought from a nursery last week its leaves from tyhe bottom up are yellowing and then dropping off the otheer one same problem until just a stock new leaves are comming out on the first one but the tip of the new leaf is slightly yellow. want am i missing in the soil do you nthink? i am using good potting soil and the watering isnt overboard. waiting for a good answer thank-you michael
November 1st, 2009 @ 6:04 pm
IMHO it is impossible to overwater brugmansia. Once established and potted on into the largest pot you can find they will drink a gallon daily (but leave drain holes in the bottom of the pot) and feed like tomatoes every sunday!
Some say stand the pot in a large tray and when the tray is dry, water again.
April 8th, 2011 @ 7:22 pm
Watch out for spider mites!!!!! Especially in a warm,dry and sunny location. The large and fragrant white, yellow and pink Brugmansias are very easy to grow as long as they get plenty of water and fertilizer, get some protection from strong winds and are placed in a sunny or at least a half shaded location.(The red and orange varieties with more narrow, scentless flowers are harder to grow and may not flower at all in warm summers.)
Apart from a few caterpillars, easy to pick by hand, my only problem when growing these plants have been these hard to see, tiny mites. They can turn all the leaves yellow and make them fall of in a few weeks and if not detected they can weaken and ultimately kill a large tree in a short time. They are visible under the leaves as small dots less than a mm long. They can be greenish, yellowish, reddish or brown. Sometimes two dark spots can be seen on their bodies with a magnifying glass. When the infestation gets severe, especially the young leaves and new branches, will be covered in spider web like thin threads.