Heavenly Brugmansia

Also known as Angel’s Trumpet, Brugmansia is a plant that grows well in our coastal areas. It is sensitive to frost, as it is native to Ecuador, Peru, northern Chili and Bolivia. Mine died back to a stick after an unusually cold weekend. It did recover though!

My plant (probably Maya) came from the farmer’s market. It is about five years old. I have to say, it has never shown blooms like this year, and that is one reason why I am writing this article now.

There are quite a few varieties of this beautiful and large (to about 10x10feet) flowering shrub. The flowers come in a few colors, from white to peach to deep orange and even red. Some are double, and some have variegated leaves. My own, as you can see in these photos, is a creamy yellow single with variegated leaves. It is huge now, and I need to cut it back regularly.

Brugmansias are hungry and thirsty. Don’t let your plant get too dry, especially in summer, and feed with a high potassium fertilizer, such as tomato food in spring and then a couple of times during the growing season. Cut your plant back in winter as it blooms on new growth.

They want cool sun, or part shade and a spot out of the wind. The large soft leaves can rip in the wind and the stems are hollow and brittle. You can see that mine is attached to my fence with a bungie cord. That is because a branch broke simply from the weight of the blooms!

Now, a word of warning… This plant is toxic in all its parts and can cause hallucinations and seizures. So, keep away from young children and pets who may want to sample it.

On the plus side are the amazingly beautiful, huge and oh-so-fragrant flowers. The blooms are sometimes pollinated by local bees and hummingbirds, but since the scent comes out at night, moths (White-lined Sphinx Moth) are the main pollinator the plant wants to draw. One you get a whiff of the fragrance, you’ll wish you were a moth! The scent carries for a long way in late afternoon and at night and is a sweet mix of lemon, jasmine, musk and honeyed cream.

Give the Angel’s Trumpet a few years to settle and grow to her full potential and then stand back and admire!