Brugmansia sanguinea

It likes the outdoor conditions much better.

Wow Meanie how did you get it to flower this early....Mine doesn't flower until late September/October...

Delonix - it spent the winter of 2012/13 (very cold, very long) outdoors, so it is used to it.

Milky - see above, and also it remained in leaf in the greenhouse all this winter. I put it out in March as it was in the way and will admit that I was surprised that the buds didn't drop.

Meanie:

I must admit I pretty incredulous that it spend a winter outdoors. I never think of any Brugmansia as being cold-tolerant. I know Brugmansia is cool-tolerant, though.

"I must admit I pretty incredulous that it spend a winter outdoors. I never think of any Brugmansia as being cold-tolerant."

Absolutely true though. I had no room for it under cover at the end of 2012, so I kinda gave up on it and left it where it was (somebody was going to have it but never collected it). I was about to bin it late June/early July 2013 when I saw the first shoots emerging (from the base/roots). It didn't flower last year.
It was perfectly happy with the light frosts that we had after it went outdoors in March.

So, it did freeze to the roots. That makes sense. I know the tops usually only take 28ºF (-2ºC) before they freeze to the ground.

"So, it did freeze to the roots."

Good god yeah! Not a good way to grow them, but interesting.

Brugmansia freezes to the grown in colder parts of California...then it grows back to 6 - 8' tall within one season. It's not very uncommon for people to grow them like this in inland Northern California (where it freezes virtually every year).

I know that in places such as London people get away with it.

I'm sure London would be perfect (with its heat-urban island effect), as long the temps don't go below freezing for a long time and the ground doesn't freeze. If the ground freezes for any length of time Brugmansia will die.

That's interesting I've never had one because we stopped heating the greenhouse ,it could be worth a try !

Hardy enough for an unheated greenhouse Amy.

Delonix - the whole pot was frozen that winter!

Thanks for that Meanie I always thought they were hot house plants !

B.sanguinea and B.vulcanicola (amongst others) are cool growers. They tend to sulk when it gets too warm.

Meanie:

The nicest and largest B. sanguinea I've seen were growing up along the Northern California coast. I took two cuttings off two plants which were growing literally on the coast at Fort Bragg, CA. (many years ago). Fort Bragg has a very mild but cool climate all year. Temps rarely get above 90ºF (32ºC) and freezing temps are not common, either.

Not a plant that you would bother with in San Diego though?

B. sanguinea grows here quite well, believe-it-or-not. There's several at the San Diego Zoo. All do wilt when it gets really hot, even when well-watered; however, they perk up when the sun goes down.