Andrearichter's Garden
Angels Trumpet
Genus: Brugmansia.
Species: Brugmansia yellow.
For people that aren't sure the Brugmansia and Datura are plants that constantly get mixed up or named incorrectly. The rule of thumb is that Datura flowers point upwards and Brugmansia flowers point downwards, apart from that the plants are very similar.
As far as advice goes, i'll take it from the beginning...............
Plants that have been grown from cutting or bought from a supplier should be potted in John Innes No 3 and a couple of handfuls of grit in a pot which is no smaller than 12" diameter and cover the surface with horticultural grit to keep the weeds and slugs away. I put mine outside in a warm sheltered spot in April, depending on the weather, in Scotland I'd wait until May. Give the plant a feed and it should start to grow. If there is any chance of a frost wrap some fleece around the stem for an insurance policy.
The plant can reach about 8' in a pot with the right amount of care. In the warm weather it will need watering twice aday and feeding once a week, it will tell you when it's thirsty as the leaves will droop, remove any surplus leaves from the trunk so the plants energy is concentrated in flower making. The plant should start to form a 'Y' from the main stem. the end of the 'Y' branches are where you will get your flowers, remove any surplus large leaves from there (I have a picture of the plant with my eldest in "photos") and the side shoots from all over the plant, these can be cuttings for an insurance policy in case the main plant doesn't overwinter.
The flowers' smell is very heady and is stronger at night to attract moths, etc. Depending on where you are in the country regarding temperatures the plant should be put into Winter rest. You can attempt to take the plant into a heated greenhouse/shed where it will survive the Winter and maybe still flower, but moving a monster like that can be back breaking.
I have left one of my bigger plants/pots outside this year. I have cut plant down and left 6" of the stem(sounds brutal!!), I have wrapped this up in a heavy fleece, packe straw, bark chippings and covered this with a bell cloche which is firmly secured with metal grips, I have then wrapped more fleece around the pot and half way up the cloche to ensure the soil doesn't get too wet. I have only tried that this year so I won't see if I have helped it survive or murdered it until next Spring.
