Brugmansia (brug-Man'-zee-uh)
Brugmansia (brug-Man'-zee-uh)
| Common name: Angel's Trumpet |
Herrenhäuser Gärtens Supports the American Brugmansia & Datura Society ABADS |
Brugmansia is named after Sebald Justin Brugmans 1763-1819
Since the 1700s, individuals from several different countries have worked scientifically with Brugmansia, especially Americans. The beautiful and historic Herrenhäuser Gärtens, in Hannover Germany, became the nucleus for Brugmansia because of close contact to Tommy E. Lockwood and Prof. Richard E. Schultes (both from Harvard University, USA), Dr. Adolfo Holguin (Ecuador) and Prof. Alvaro Fernandez-Perez (Colombia, University of Popayan). |
| Even though Brugmansia has been in the USA for many many years, it has always been portrayed as a 'Plant of Evil' and something undesirable to have growing in your yard. Not until 1997 did Brugmansia begin to gain the "serious" attention of many American plant collectors and home gardeners. |
| Brugmansia has a wide range of leaf forms and individual growth habits. The Brugmansia flower has an even wider range of sizes, forms, shapes, and colors that can change drastically in appearance from one growing environment to the next. The different Brugmansia flower scents drifting in the air on warm summer evenings can only be described as exotic and intoxicating! The Brugmansia flower anatomy is much like the Lily making it extremely easy to hybridize these plants. At times it can be difficult to point out differences between these hybrids with the naked eye, but still all are as different as snowflakes. The charm and the beauty of this genus is unlike any native or imported plant we are familiar with! |
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There are 7 species of Brugmansia which are divided into two groups. These two groups normally do not cross with each other:
B. aurea Group aurea
arborea Note: Hybrids from the crosses (in any order) aurea x suaveolens x versicolor, and hybrids from extensive inter-breeding and back crosses and whose lineage is uncertain are called hybrids |
The genus Brugmansia belongs to the nightshade, Solanaceae family which includes tomatoes, potatoes, tobacco, many kinds of peppers, eggplant, and also includes Datura, petunia, nicotiana, solanum, physalis (Chinese lantern) and other ornamentals. Click on map for larger view  Brugmansia is native to South America, particularly the Andes, where they grow on sloping terrain under damp conditions.
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Brugmansia is a long lived perennial in zone 9 and warmer and can grow to become a small tree to 35' tall, 6'-15' tall when grown in containers. Brugmansia will survive zone 8 winters "if the roots do not freeze" and they’ve even survived zone 7 winters. Repeated ground freezes, year after year, will eventually weaken and kill the plant. Worldwide Plant Hardiness Zones |
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Eggplant, Four O'clock, Hydrangea, Lily of the Valley, Morning Glory, Potato, Tobacco, Tomato, Oleander, Azalea, Rhododendron, Alocasia, Caladium, Dieffenbachia, Castor bean, Easter Lily, Chrysanthemum, Iris, Sweet Pea and plenty more! 1- Purdue University Am I going to drop dead if I touch Brugmansia? We are not aware of deaths caused by handling Brugmansia. There would be no Brugmansia collectors if these plants were so deadly to touch!
This information does not mean you shouldn't be concerned about your pets. Just watch their behavior around your plants. Chances are extremely high that your pet will turn it's nose up and ignore Brugmansia.
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Brugmansia flowers are nodding to pendant, 4" to 24" long depending on the species.
Flower fragrance intensity can range anywhere from none ( B. sanguinea) to overpowering. The intoxicating fragrances are described as musk, lemon, mint, lily, hyacinth, citrus, traces of jasmine and gardenia, various deodorant scents including Lady Speed Stick "Light Musk", and Lemon Pledge furniture polish. These fragrances are most noticeable on warm summer evenings. |
| Brugmansia produces many shades of white, yellow, gold, orange, peach and pink flowers. Before an individual flower's life cycle is ended it is possible for it to go thru many color changes. Sun, shade, pH levels, nutrition, stress, high and low temperatures, humidity ... all can affect Brugmansia flower colors and some flower forms. The flower you see in your particular growing environment may not be the same color or form in someone else's environment. Some cultivars flower all growing season, some flower only in flushes every 6-8 weeks, some only flower in cool weather. Some produce few flowers and some produce many flowers. Brugmansia sanguinea is the only species that has true red flowers. Update! New 2003 release! Check out the red x candida hybrid B. 'Super Spot' created by Anne Kirchner-Abel , Germany! The only known "possible shade of purple" Brugmansia is the Preissel hybrid B. x flava Lilac. There is not a true purple Brugmansia. The Purple Brugmansia seeds you see offered on many sites, and the purple flowered plants you see everywhere, are always Datura which is a separate genus of the same Solanaceae family. |
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Brugmansia flower forms are mostly singles in a variety of funnel and trumpet shapes but there are also many doubles, triples, and quadruples and a few shredded forms. Some flowers are giant bells that hang pendant, others stick out to the side, called nodding. Some begin as nodding but the size/weight of the flower eventually causes them to hang more pendant. Brugmansia fruit shapes (seed pod shapes) resemble okra, chili pepper, green bean and egg. These seed pods never have spines or bumps and they do not open on their own like most Datura seed pods do. Brugmansia seedlings are not true to parent plants with the exception of true species crosses such as arborea. In most cases, Brugmansia is easily propagated from cuttings. |
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Disclaimer: While the information at this Web site is believed to be true and accurate, the American Brugmansia & Datura Society Inc. (ABADS) and the authors cannot accept any legal responsibility for any errors or omissions that may have been made. ABADS makes no warranty, expressed or implied with respect to the material contained herein. Copyright of all original Images submitted for public display will be retained by the contributor. The contributor does, however, agree to grant ABADS a non-exclusive license to modify, reproduce, and distribute all images in the manner that it sees fit. You must request written permission from ABADS Board of Directors in order to copy and publish any part of this website. |
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