Brugmansia is a genus of seven species of woody shrubs or small trees in the nightshade family, grown for their large, pendulous, fragrant trumpet flowers. Grow them in fertile, moist but well-drained soil, in sun to part shade, and protect them from frost.
Family
Solanaceae (Nightshade family)
Grows as
Tree
Light
Part shade
Water
Keep soil evenly moist during the growing season and water less in cool weather.
Soil
Moist, fertile, well-drained potting mix or garden soil.
Temperature
Frost-free climates; protect from frost, roots are hardier than top growth; prefers moderate temperatures and cool nights in higher-elevation species.
How easy
Easy
Safety
Toxic: All parts are poisonous, especially seeds and leaves; they contain tropane alkaloids such as scopolamine and hyoscyamine that can cause delirium, hallucinations, tachycardia, and death.
About
Brugmansia is a genus of seven species of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanaceae. They are woody trees or shrubs, with pendulous flowers, and have no spines on their fruit. Their large, fragrant flowers give them their common name of angel's trumpets, adjacent to the nickname devil's trumpets of the closely related genus Datura.
Brugmansia species are among the most toxic of ornamental plants, containing tropane alkaloids of the type also responsible for the toxicity and deliriant effects of both jimsonweed and the infamous deadly nightshade. All seven species are known only in cultivation or as escapees from cultivation, and no wild plants have ever been confirmed. They are therefore listed as Extinct in the Wild by the IUCN Red List, although they are popular ornamental plants and still exist wild outside their native range as introduced species.
How to grow it
Brugmansia are easily grown in a moist, fertile, well-drained soil, in sun to part shade, in frost-free climates. They begin to flower in mid to late spring in warm climates and continue into the fall (autumn), often continuing as late as early winter in warm conditions. In cool winters, outdoor plants need protection from frost, but the roots are hardier, and may resprout in late spring. The species from the higher elevations, in B. section Sphaerocarpium, prefer moderate temperatures and cool nights, and may not flower if temperatures are very hot. Most Brugmansia may be propagated easily by rooting 10–20 cm (4–8 in) cuttings taken from the end of a branch during the summer.
Several hybrids and numerous cultivars have been developed for use as ornamental plants. B. × candida is a hybrid between B. aurea and B. versicolor; B. × flava is a hybrid between B. arborea and B. sanguinea; and B. × cubensis is a hybrid between B. suaveolens, B. versicolor, and B. aurea. There are cultivars producing double flowers, and some with variegated leaves. The cultivars B.
Safety
All parts of Brugmansia are potentially poisonous, with the seeds and leaves being especially dangerous.
Brugmansia are rich in scopolamine (hyoscine), hyoscyamine, and several other tropane alkaloids that can lead to anticholinergic toxidrome and delirium.
Where it grows
Brugmansia are native to tropical regions of South America, along the Andes from Venezuela to northern Chile, and also in south-eastern Brazil. They are grown as ornamental container plants worldwide, and have become naturalized in isolated tropical areas around the globe, including within North America, Africa, Australia, Asia, and Europe.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Brugmansia by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.