Brugmansia

( brug - MAN - see - uh )

At - A - Glance Information

Also called Angel's Trumpet, this evergreen to semi-evergreen group of shrubs grows in sun or shade, and requires regular waterings for best performance. They are beautiful, mounding, tropical-looking shrubs covered in trumpet-shaped hanging flowers. They make a breathtaking focal point in any garden, and in some cases can even be trained into a small tree. Blooms are fragrant, especially in the evening hours. Take care when planting these beauties in your yard, however, as ingesting any part of the plant can be very poisonous.

brugmansia species and varietals

The genus Brugmansia includes 7 species and is a member of the Nightshade family, Solanaceae. They were first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 as part of the genus Datura, and then in 1805 were moved to their own genus by C. H. Persoon. Brugmansia (Angel's Trumpet) shrubs grow best in zones 12, 13, 16-24, H1 and H2. ​To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Brugmansia x candida
This hybrid reaches 10-12 feet tall and just as wide. Dull green leaves cover the shrub, and sweet-scented 8-10 inch long flowers bloom in cream to white. Flowers hang straight down from branches. Popular varieties include 'Double White' with creamy white double blossoms and greyish-green foliage, and 'Variegata' (also called 'Sunset'), which is smaller (growing to 5 feet tall and wide) with light golden-peach flowers and white-edged leaves.

​Brugmansia 'Cherub'
This is a hybrid variety that profusely produces salmon-colored flowers early in the flowering season. Can grow to 7 feet tall and just as wide. This is a very fragrant selection.

​Brugmansia x cubensis 'Charles Grimaldi'
Vigorous-growing hybrid to 10-12 feet tall and 10 feet wide. Very fragrant, large golden yellow/orange flowers cover the entire shrub during the flowering season.

​Brugmansia x insignis
Grows to 10 to 12 feet tall and just as wide. Large, flaring trumpet flowers point out at a 45 degree angle from the shrub and have a spicy/sweet fragrance. Flowers come in pink, yellow, white, and orange. Varieties include 'Frosty Pink' (pictured) with 8-10 inch salmon-pink flowers, 'Jamaica Yellow' with light yellow flowers, and 'Betty Marshall', a compact 6-8 foot tall plant with white blossoms.

​Brugmansia sanguinea (Mountain Angel's Trumpet)
This variety grows to be 8-12 feet tall and 6-8 feet wide. Leaves are wavy-edged and greyish green. Trumpets are narrow and 8 inches long orange-red with yellow veining. Some varieties also have orange to yellow or pink flowers. This type does not do well during hot summers, during which they will not bloom as profusely.

Brugmansia 'Snowbank'
Light and dark green leaves on this shrub are edged in cream-white, and it has apricot-colored flowers. Grows to be about 5 feet high and about as wide. Blooms in mid and late summer.

Brugmansia versicolor
This is the most tree-like of all of the species on this list, growing to 15 feet tall and wide. Flowers are 15 inches long and peach-colored, and hang straight down from the plant. Blossoms have a sweet fragrance at night and in the early morning. Varieties include 'Ecuador Pink', and the more compact 'Peaches and Cream' which grows to about 5 feet tall and has variegated leaves.

Caring for and pruning brugmansia

Angel's Trumpet shrubs tend to need some shelter, as wind will damage foliage and flowers. In colder climates, be ready for some frost damage and a somewhat unattractive winter appearance. If your Brugmansia is grown in a container, it may be a good idea to bring it inside during winter months, even if it gets darker conditions and little water. Before springtime growth, remove dead, weak, and crowded stems. Otherwise, these shrubs don't need much pruning, though those grown in containers do respond well to root pruning. Brugmansias are hungry, thirsty plants.

Plant your Brugmansia in a sunny to partially shaded area of the garden in soil amended with a lot of organic material. The best time to plant these is in spring, after the danger of frost has passed by. Angel's Trumpet enjoys well-draining soil and a lot of water (at least three inches per week), as well as regular feedings (once a month) with a balanced fertilizer.

propagation

Propagation of Angel's Trumpet can be done via cuttings or seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the cutting method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant. To propagate your shrub, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Brugmansia by Cutting
  1. Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand.
  2. In spring or summer (May to August), before the plant has had time to harden its current season's growth, choose your plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 6 inch portion(s) of the end of an older, woody, non-blooming branch and strip off all of the lower leaves, leaving the top two on the cutting. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot about two inches deep.
  3. Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in a partially shaded spot indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth on your propagated Brugmansia, you'll know you have roots. 
  4. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home, either outdoors or inside as a house plant. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new Angel's Trumpet.

Propagating Brugmansia by Seed
  1. Keep in mind that the Angel's Trumpet plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant, especially if you are working with a hybrid variety. To propagate by seed, you will need a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after some time, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows.
  2. Harvest your seeds. Brugmansia seeds are encased in a cork-like covering that looks a bit like a bean. You can choose to leave this seed covering on, or take it off. It's really your choice, though seeds that have been freed from their encasement do tend to germinate better. Harvest as many as you can, and plant all of them in your tray. They will probably not all sow, and the ones that do will be of varying characteristics, especially with hybrid-variety seeds. The more seeds you plant, the more chances you will have to get the resulting shrub you want. 
  3. Barely cover the seeds with planting medium (about 1/2 an inch down) and keep the soil moist but not wet by spraying it with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 2-4 weeks from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they have produced two sets of leaves, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
  4. Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with indirect light and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home, either outdoors or inside as a house plant. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new Angel's Trumpet.
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Brugmansia seed pods look a bit like Jalapenos.
The seeds of Brugmansia shrubs are contained within green seed pods, and need to be removed before use.
Angel's Trumpet seeds are brown and a bit wrinkly.

Problems and pests

Brugmansia is susceptible to the following issues:
  • Aphids
  • Mealybugs
  • Whiteflies
  • Spider Mites
​For more information on these issues, including how to eradicate pests, see the links below:
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Gallery

Brugmansia x candida 'Variegata' or 'Sunset'
The beautiful double blossoms on Brugmansia x candida 'Double
White'
Brugmansia x insignis 'Betty Marshall'
The leaves on Brugmansia 'Snowbank' are almost as beautiful as the blooms!
Brugmansia versicolor 'Peaches and Cream'
Brugmansia grows well in containers, which make it easier to move indoors during the cooler months.

Videos

All about Angel's Trumpet.
How to grow Brugmansia sanguinea.
How to repot or transplant your Brugmansia shrub.
How to take Angel's Trumpet cuttings for propagation.
How to propagate Angel's Trumpet via cuttings.
How to grow and care for your Angel's Trumpet plant.

Resources

Tips for Propagating Brugmansia
Brugmansia Plant Care
Growing and Overwintering Angel's Trumpet: Brugmansia
Wikipedia: Brugmansia
Angel's Trumpet, Brugmansia
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Page 205, Brugmansia
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or photos you’d like to add to the gallery, please let me know by sending me a message using the button below!
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