Are there two types of Angel Trumpet? I looked at pictures of Datura and Brugmansia , and mine looks like Brugmansia. Its blooms are yellow with pinkish/salmon edges. It has three stalks and lived in full son this year, once with about 20 blooms on it. Hubby and I noticed a friend has one of the same color that sits on the west side of her house and just gets afternoon sun and it blooms wonderfully, too. Ours is in full sun. What should we do with this plant now that it is (brrrrrrr) cold here? Thanks, y'all~
Hi flopsy ~ To address the first question first, yes, Datura and Brugmansia are very similar, and are, in fact, related. Until not too long ago (sometime in the 1970's, I believe) they were all classified as Daturas. Before that, Brugs were usually called "Tree-form Datura" or "Datura trees", I think that is still the case in much of Europe. One of the easiest ways to tell the difference is that Brug plants tend to grow upright with flowers that hang downwards, whereas, most Datura plants are more shrubby/spreading in form and the flowers are held at a more upward angle. I've heard both of these plants referred to as "Angel Trumpets" (one of the reasons I rarely use common names is that they can cause confusion). On the other hand, some folks call Brugs "Angel Trumpets" (their trumpets facing downward as if they might be blown by angels above) and they call Daturas "Devil Trumpets" (their trumpets facing upward, as if from below) I live in zone 8 too, and my white Brugmansia trees are herbaceous perennials, here. They die back to ground level after a couple of hard freezes, then sprout up new when the weather gets and stays warm enough in the spring. But, it is my understanding that not all varieties are of the same hardiness, so only this year am I testing several other varieties for hardiness in my garden. To hedge my bets, so to speak, I have made sure to keep some small rooted cuttings indoors, just in case I do lose those which I planted outdoors to the elements.
Wow, thanks Zuzu. I learned a lot from your post. I hope mine comes back next year. The white as you have is the first of the Brug's we ever had. (It died several years after we moved it from hubby's grandmother's house.) We found this yellow/pink trumpeted one last year at a nursery and brought it home. Sure hope it makes it through the winter. Should we break off the now dead "trunks" and cover the soil with straw or some other mulch? Thanks again!
I have done the same thing Zuzu but mine returned this year both kinds.I did some cuttings so I will be sure to get my Burgs back.They made it through the snow this past year.
Your Brugmansia "trunks" may not be dead yet, mine are still quite healthy, even though a couple of them are leafless already. I only mention this, because if the bare stem is still firm, and green beneath the thin outer layer (scratching gently with a fingernail will show this), you could still take a cutting to propagate an "insurance plant" for yourself. If that isn't a project you care to take on, then, yes, you can go ahead and cut the main stem back and mulch. For my outdoor plants, when they have gone fully dormant, I will prune the stems back to a length of about 4 inches. **note - I usually give the cut end a couple of days to callus before adding any mulch over the top, I worry that the freshly cut end could be more susceptible to rot. Then I will mulch them heavily, to keep them dark and cool so that they don't break dormancy if we happen to have a warm spell. Yep, "insurance" is what I call 'em and when spring comes, if I find that I don't need 'em, I've got plants all ready to trade.
Very interesting This is actually the first time that someone explained the difference between Brugmansia and Datura so clearly. Awesome info Zuzu. I never really understood the difference and your explanation made it seem so clear.
Growing poisonous plants Hi all, I am stumped why the Datura / Brug seems really popular with so many gardeners, especially in home gardens. Is it worth the risk? There is no portion of it that isn't deadly, narcotic and poisonous. There are far more showier flowers - even a humble hibiscus looks so much better and flowers like Gardenias, Roses or Jasmines have a much better perfume. I like kids in my garden and we always have pets around. No Daturas, Monkshood or pokeweeds - I'm even vary of growing Oleanders or Yews. Just my two cents; don't want to sound preachy too but am I being too over cautious and missing out on something?
Sunshine, being cautious when you have children or pets that wander thru your garden is proper. But some of us don't have children or pets to worry about so growing the 'more dangerous' plants is an option.
Kill you. It contains an hallucinogen so it could send you on a bad trip or it could kill you depending on the potency of the compounds in the plant.
I would like to have an "insurance" cutting. What do I do with the cutting? Pot it inside or what? Will it root that easily? Why does it cost so much if it roots that easily? Please comment because it seems like I can save money and share some plants. Thanks in advance.
