Featured Plant
Featured Plant archive
Garden Drama!
Angel’s Trumpet
Botanical name: Brugmansia versicolor ‘Charles
Grimaldi’
(USDA Zones 7-11, with winter protection, Sunset’s Climate Zones 12,13, 16-24, H1, H2)
A flowering, evergreen shrub from China and Japan famously
known for intensely fragrant blossoms…
 I
had often admired a neighbor’s Angel’s Trumpet collection. He
had several of them, trained as small trees. I was thrilled
when he gave me a cutting of the one he thought was most fragrant. It
was just an 18” branch but started growing almost immediately
when I planted it in a wind protected area under our large Jacaranda
tree.
Within a year or two, the little cutting grew into a beautifully
shaped 8 X 8 tree, the perfect size to serve as an understory
tree to the Jacaranda. Best of all, when all the gardening
planets align, it blooms at the same time as the Jacaranda. The
effect is stunning!
Our summers are hot here and I am convinced that a little dappled
shade keeps the Brugmansia looking its best. Also, if in
a windy setting, the large leaves can become tattered, so choose
a planting site with care.
Brugmansia can be kept as a very small tree indefinitely and
so is a great choice for small or enclosed spaces such as bath
gardens, intimate patios or cozy entry walks. I have trained
ours to arch over a wandering gravel path. Another wonderful
way to showcase Brugmansia is to plant it on the outside of a
walled courtyard and let the branches grow over the wall and
drape down. 
Huge upside down trumpet flowers are the big draw for this plant. They
are powerfully fragrant at night and during the growing season
will bloom in cycles of about 2-4 weeks, with a rest period in
between. I usually feed after a bloom cycle and this seems
to help bring on the next bloom period. Regular water is
also a must if you want the plant to look great. Lots of
organic matter sure doesn’t hurt either.
About the only downside I can think of is that Brugmansia can
go into a funk if the weather is cold. It can go from gorgeous
to dowdy as the weather cools. Be patient and as the weather
warms, feed and water it and you will be rewarded with improved
foliage and a mass of blooms.
Brugmansia will also perform beautifully in a large pot or tub. This
works well in cold climates. During winter, put the container
on castors and wheel it into a protected, even low light area. Be
sure to cut back on the water to create a period of dormancy.
There are many beautiful hybrids to choose from, ranging in color
from the purest white to gold, peach and even deeply pink tinged
two-tones. There are also several double hybrids which give
the flower a ruffled effect. Remember, cuttings work well!
I’ve had very good luck mail ordering plants from Greer
Gardens at www.greergardens.com -
Brenda Gousha |
