Gardening tips, gardening info and heaps of ideas to help gardeners of all experience get more out of their hobby and out of their gardens.
Brugmansia's are an exquisite plant with their ornate hanging flowers and lush green foliage, they would be on most gardener's shopping lists. However, the highly perfumed flower can be hazardous to your health. Their hallucinogenic qualities, prized by South American medicine men, are also extremely poisonous and a trip could easily lead to death. These can even kill children if they try to eat them.
So, while you may not rush and buy one if you have small children there would be a time when it would be okay to have these growing in a garden bed.
There are only 3 species of Brugmansia; B. candida, B. sanguinea (Red Angel's Trumpet) and B.suaveolens. Not to be confused with the Datura family (Datura's flower upwards, Brugmansia's flower down) they share similar features including the hallucinogens.
Brugmansia is a rapid growing plant that can quickly enhance your garden. They grow as a shrub but can be trained to grow as a tree by progressively removing some of the lower branches. Make sure you stake your Brugmansia when you first plant it as the trunk is very brittle. If you want it to remain as a shrub then just remove the longer shoots over summer.
The key to growing Brugmansia is the climate. They don't survive frost prone areas well so if this is the climate in your area you may want to consider growing them in a pot and bringing them into a greenhouse during the winter months. They much prefer warmer, more temperate areas and a climate that has low rainfall during the flowering season.
If you're after more information on these plants check out The American Brugmansia and Datura Society or Brugmansia Grower's International>.
Comments
Stu, what with the drought here, our climate would certainly satisfy the "low rainfall during the flowering season" requirement. What about sun? Would it be ok in semi shade? I've seen these trumpet things before, but only in a cream shading. Would love to have one of these plants in our garden.
Posted by: Val | March 25, 2006 6:20 AM
We saw a few wonderful specimens of this plant at the coast and I was bemoaning the fact that the frosts would kill them here. After reading your description, I've stopped hankering for them.
Posted by: Alice | March 26, 2006 3:09 AM
Val, the shading you're referring to sounds like B.candida which are much more perfumed than the bright red sanguinea's. They love full-sun but can handle shade from taller trees.
Alice, yes. They're not on my shopping list at the moment but from what I've seen of them, I wouldlove to have one in my garden one day.
Posted by: Stu | March 26, 2006 8:12 PM