Matt's 9b field note
“Big fragrant night blooms in the tropical zone.”
Background
Brugmansia is a genus of woody shrubs and small trees native to the Andes of South America (Colombia to northern Chile), where they grew on sloping terrain with warm humid days and cool nights. Long cultivated by South American peoples as ornamentals and in shamanic practice, the genus is now considered extinct in the wild (IUCN) and survives entirely in cultivation. Hundreds of hybrids exist in white, yellow, pink, orange, and red; Matt's are unspecified.
Distinguishing traits
Fast-growing shrub or small tree, 6-15+ ft; huge pendulous trumpet flowers 6-24 in long, powerfully fragrant at night (moth-pollinated). All parts are highly toxic (tropane alkaloids) — keep away from children and pets.
Desert care — zone 9b
- Chill hours
- n/a — ornamental
- Cold hardiness
- Zones 9-11; frost-tender. Tops die back in freezes but roots resprout in 9b; container plants should come inside below about 50°F.
- Heat tolerance
- Loves heat but appreciates afternoon shade in the desert; very thirsty in summer and may need daily watering in pots.
- Water
- Heavy feeder and drinker; deep frequent water with good drainage. Leaves droop when thirsty and recover fast after watering.
- Soil
- Rich, moist, well-drained; slightly acidic to neutral.
- Sun exposure
- Full sun to partial shade; afternoon shade in hot climates.