Brugmansia Seeds

You cannot depend on seeds to give you a particular color other than white. Brugmansia seeds of modern cultivars do not come true to parents. Many cultivars are complex mixes and the possibilities of chromosome combinations are in the thousands. It is nearly impossible to speculate on what the seedlings will produce.
B. hybrid 'Dr. Seuss' (yellow-golden yellow) x B. versicolor 'Ecuador Pink' (deep pink) frequently produces versicolor type white flowers.
Same pod seedlings from the cross B. hybrid 'Charles Grimaldi' (yellow-deep orange) x B. versicolor 'Peach' (medium-deep peach) have produced a variety of flower shapes, anywhere from suaveolens to versicolor, mostly white, but also in gold and peach shades.
In the 1990's some USA hybridizers believed that B. suaveolens hybrid 'Frosty Pink' x any other variety available in the US at that time, would only produce white flowers. Since then, the same crosses have produced pale pink seedlings which proves error in that theory.

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Seed pods are ready to harvest when:
... the stem (peduncle) that attaches it to the plant, begins to yellow
... the pod itself begins to yellow
... the pod is soft and not firm and crisp
... the pod's surface feels and looks lumpy

The mature seed coat (pericarp), is light tan to dark brown in color. When dried the texture is best described as corky but in appearance resembles a wood chip.
Immature pericarps are white and the texture resembles Hominy. These seeds will frequently still germinate if you plant them immediately. White coat seeds deteriorate quickly!


Seed Germination Extremely hard seed coats could be a sign that the seeds are not fresh and peeling them before soaking might be difficult. If you do not peel these hard coat seeds you might have problems with the seed coat not falling off after germination. Many times the whole head eventually falls off leaving nothing but a green stem. These poor little headless stems sometimes produce new growth and survive, but more often they die. Soaking in water is an absolute "must" with these seeds. Peeling white coat seeds is a breeze but not necessary.		New growth on headless seedling

1 - Dry hard coat seeds are sometimes just dormant not dead. Water wakes them up and activates the germination process.
Soak dry hard coat seeds in water for 8-24 hours.
Fresh seeds do not need to be soaked.

2 - Carefully peel the woody looking seed coat off. The inner seed looks like a tiny bean.
If your seed is fresh, it is not necessary to peel them.
Some brug seeds, such as suaveolens and insignis, are too small to peel.

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3 - Press seeds into the soil surface without totally covering the seeds and mist until soil is evenly moist.
It is common practice to plant many seeds in one container. After germination the individual seedlings are easily separated for transplant. In most cases you do not have to worry about disturbing the root systems of these tiny seedlings.

Be careful to keep the seed germination containers properly identified as to what the cross is.
Examples:
B. Butterfly x B. Charles Grimaldi seeds should be germinated together.
B. v. Ecuador Pink x B. Rosabelle seeds should be germinated together.

Note: "When pricking out your seedlings it is a good idea to select individuals with an assortment of sizes. In our experience as breeders we have found that it is often the small and weakly seedlings that eventually produce the best flowers, with the most interesting colors. This is particularly true when crosses using a mixture of species or varieties of species (e.g.. Brugmansia, Brunfelsia and Osteospermum) where any reversion to the type, parent species, is often associated with the strongest seedlings." Rainbow Heights Nursery & Research, Rainbow CA

Flower Color

Albinos

The first time the seedling flowers is a wonderful experience! Few things in life compare to "the wonder of it all". You are the first person to lay eyes on this brand new hybrid and it is just what you wished for ... pink! ... Yes! Yes! Yes! But wait! The next time it flowers, you can't believe your eyes ... it's white! white! white! or ... The first time it flowers it's just another common white! The second time it flowers it's Peach! Give the plant a few flowering periods before you make a final decision about it's true characteristics. Sun, shade, pH levels, nutrition, stress, temperatures, humidity ... all can affect Brugmansia flower colors and some forms.

Ninety percent of seedlings from variegated crosses are albino and die from lack of chlorophyll. The remaining ten percent will produce anything from totally green leaves to heavy variegation. Beautiful new variegated hybrids are currently undergoing trials and evaluations. Made in the USA!

It is proper etiquette to give credit to the hybridizer (when known) of any new hybrid you grow from another person's seeds. If you purchased your seeds from a business, you should make sure you let others know where your seedling came from. If you received your seeds from an individual hybridizer, give credit to that individual. It is encouraging to our hybridizers when we keep them informed. Every time we choose to ignore the hybridizer we loose a valuable piece of Brugmansia history.

Accurate record keeping is priceless and these details lend credibility to every named Brugmansia we grow. Experienced growers understand how important such record keeping is as they have been recording information for many years. Had they not kept these records, we would know nothing about the Brugmansia we grow.


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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.	©American Brugmansia & Datura Society Inc. (ABADS) February 10, 2002-2005 All Rights Reserved Website designed by: American Brugmansia & Datura Society	Contact Us or visit Guest Forum