Brugmansia

Angel's Trumpet is a genus of seven species of tropical evergreen shrub or small tree that could be grown as a houseplant/interiorscape or in the landscape as a cultivated woody or herbaceous shrub where hardy. Once included as a section of the genus Datura (also called Angel's trumpet), Brugmansia is now recognized as generically distinct and its own separate genus. The two are easily distinguished: Datura flowers face upward, whereas Brugmansia flowers are pendulous. It is a small tree growing 6 to 15 feet in containers and up to 35 feet in the landscape. This plant is resistant to damage by deer and is slightly salt tolerant. The plant tolerates light frost and drought. The genus name, Brugmansia, honors Sebald Justin Brugmans (1763-1819), a professor of natural history at Leiden.

Angel's Trumpet has a wide range of leaf forms and individual growth habits. It will flower continually through the growing season. The plant must reach maturity before blooming, which occurs in two stages and can take a year or more. In the first stage, the young seedling grows straight up on a single stalk to a main fork at 2 1/2 to 5 feet high. It will not flower until after it has reached this fork, and then only on new growth above the fork. The large fragrant flowers, which give the plant its common name, have a wide range of sizes, forms, shapes, and colors that can change drastically in appearance from one growing environment to the next.

Do not put the plant in full sun. It does best when there is a lot of room for roots to grow. Angel's Trumpet grows best when using lots of ‘seasoned’ water (meaning the water has sat in a bucket for at least 24 hours to let any chemicals evaporate). Do not use tap water. If you see significant wilting, have pale foliage, or your plant seems stressed or unhappy, try less sun. During the growing season, Angel's Trumpet is a heavy feeder that needs regular fertilization to stimulate new growth and flowers. This tropical plant will over-winter in North Carolina during most years if given some protection from the cold in the form of leaves or mulch pilled around the base of the plant. It will die back to the ground but will usually come back from the ground each spring.

Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems:

No known diseases or insect pests; however, caterpillars, spider mites and whiteflies, can be a problem on overwintering plants.