Angel Trumpet tree leaves a sweet fragrance in the air when its trumpet-shaped blooms herald in the night.
Perfect for a moon garden or night garden, Brugmansia or the Angel Trumpet flowers at night and after a rain storm.
With hairy leaves and breathtaking trumpet-shaped flower that droop, the Angel Trumpet is a perennial that can grow to be 6 to 20 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide within a matter of a few short years.
Angel Trumpet Trees provide shade and also nectar for bees. I have had the best luck planting my Angel Trumpet bushes near the house or fence to provide a little shade. Also, I like to keep it out of foot traffic since bees do like to visit the blooms during the day.
Here are a few tips for growing Angel Trumpet Tree in your moon garden.
No. 1: Use care when handling Angel Trumpet. Like the night, the Angel Trumpet is hauntingly beautiful, but may be dangerous. Handle your Angel Trumpet with extreme care as all parts of the plant are poisonous to humans and animals.
No. 2: Seek medical assistance immediately if you experience symptoms of poisoning such as vomiting, intense thirst, difficulty swallowing, hallucinations, seizures or coma. People have died from ingesting parts of the Angel Trumpet tree, and even eye contact with the sap may cause temporary blindness.
No. 3: Water frequently unless you are trying to conserve water due to a drought. Angel Trumpet likes damp conditions. But it’s also an extremely resilient plant. I don’t water my Angel Trumpet, but just let it become droopy and somewhat pathetic during dry spells since it will liven back up when it rains.
No. 4: Check to make sure your city or municipality allows the planting of Angel Trumpet.
No. 5: If you are allergic to vegetables from the nightshade family, I would advise not planting the Angel Trumpet bush. The Angel Trumpet Tree is from the Solanaceae/potato family. The name Solanaceae comes from the Latin Solanum or “nightshade” plant.
No. 6: Angel Trumpet is a late bloomer. In Florida, my Angel Trumpet blooms in late summer and fall. It finishes blooming when the first cold days arrive in the winter.
No. 7: Select the best color for your moon garden. Horticulturalists and nursery owners have cultivated so many different angel trumpet trees. I have a pink Brugmansia. You can also find the Brazilian Gold Brugmansia with soft yellow to deep gold blooms; the Brazilian Treasure, a rose/pink Brugmansia; the Brugmansia suaveolens with white flowers; the Orange glory or (Brugmansia aurea) with gold to orange blooms; the Indian Pink Brugmansia with pure pink colors and the Red Tree Brugmansia, Brugmansia sanguinea, with bright red flowers that fade to yellow at base.
No. 8: The Angel Trumpet is native to the subtropical regions of South America and grows best in Zones 9 to 11, although you may plant it in a large container for a sun porch. You would need to frequently water and fertilize your container Brugmansia.
No. 9: If you are wondering how to grow Angel Trumpet, simply plant when there is no danger of frost. Water frequently when first planted.
No. 10: To propagate my Angel Trumpet, I cut a branch off the existing plant and place in a vase of water outside. After about 2 weeks, there will be plenty of roots growing. At that point, just plant. One year I threw some dead branches from an Angel Trumpet in a corner, and the following year I noticed I had a mature Angel Trumpet bush growing. They die down during the winter in Florida, but come back in the spring. Pruning brings about a bushier plant with more flowers so prune in the winter as much as possible!
Angel Trumpet is not for everyone. If you have small children or pets that like to dig up your plants, avoid the Angel Trumpet.
I’ve heard of Brugmansia growing in moon gardens and yards in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Arizona, New Mexico, Tennessee, Texas, Washington State, West Virginia and North Carolina.
Related gardening articles:
Jatropha
Twinflower
Source:
Queensland Government website
