Brugmansia Care Tips
This plant, also known as Angel’s Trumpet, has large heavenly scented flowers which hang down en masse
Angel’s Trumpets are impressive. These large shrubs, which easily turn into small trees, stand head and shoulders above other plants in the garden. Their height, breadth and masses of fragrant, trumpet shaped flowers never fail to impress – both the eyes and the nose. Here’s what I’ve learned from experience by maintaining Brugmansias along with care tips.
This pic is a bit bright but you can see what I mean about the masses of flowers & presence in the garden a Brugmansia has. This is “Charles Grimaldi” by the way.
They are quite the common landscape plant here in Santa Barbara. There are four cultivars/varieties commonly seen here but Florida with its sub tropical/tropical climate has many beauties. Plain and simple, they’re grown for their flowers. Brugmansias have an unusual habit in that they only flower above where the stems fork which you’ll see in the picture below. So, if you have a baby plant, don’t expect it to flower until you see that “Y”. Be sure to remove all the leaves below that first fork because that will save your young plant some energy.
Here’s are a couple of close ups so you can see the “Y” or fork I’m talking about.
If you have a new plant don’t be too impatient, give it some time to bloom. I planted a Brugmansia “Double White” in my client’s garden and the flower was single for the first year of its bloom. It then turned double the following year. Here in Santa Barbara they have a long bloom time: late Winter through late Fall with the heaviest displays coming during the warmer months. Definitely worth the mess these plants make!
Looking into the lovely flowers of Brugmansia x candida “Double White”.
Here’s what you need to know if you want to grow Brugmansias in the garden:
Hardiness: Most grow in zones 8-10b but there are some varieties which are hardy in zones 7b-10b. They are semi-evergreen the colder it gets so expect some leaf drop. If you get a couple nights of frost, your Brugmansia should come back even if it goes down.
Light: Angel’s Trumpets prefer cooler sun or partial shade – this is why they love coastal Southern California (except for this year – they’re definitely not diggin’ our drought). They love it bright but need to be protected from hot afternoon sun with dappled shade. In their native environments, they grow beneath the understory of taller plants.
Water: Brugmansias like regular & deep watering to keep them looking there best. They have a rangy growth habit & will get scraggly if kept too dry. This is evidenced by the pictures I’ve saved for the end to show you how they look in a drought. Spoiler: they’re not lovely, that’s why they’re at the end!
Soil: Nothing too particular, just regular garden soil with good drainage. Top dressing with a good amount of rich compost ( I use a local compost. Give Dr. Earth’s a try if you can’t find any where you live. Both enrich the soil naturally so the roots are healthy & the plants grow stronger) every Spring will make your Brugmansia very happy.
Fertilizer: I never applied any to Angel’s Trumpets when I was a professional gardener, just lots of compost. I was reading something very interesting on a grower’s website that I wanted to share with you: they recommend feeding them with a fertilizer formulated for tomatoes which makes perfect sense.
Brugmansias are in the Solanacae family right alongside tomatoes. They aren’t crazy about phosphorous (N-P-K on the box or bag with the middle letter being phosphorous) so another suitable fertilizer for them would have numbers like 30-10-20. Fertilize in early Spring & then a couple of times during the growing season.
Pests: I’ve seen them with spider mite & whiteflies. They’re also susceptible to mealybugs, beetle & broad mites.
Pruning: Brugmansias are vigorous growers & will get rangy in no time. They flower on new wood so pruning helps with that bloom that we want. I pruned so they’d look better in the garden & wouldn’t get too tall. I pruned the established ones down about a foot or 2 in early Spring & then did a couple of lighter prunes throughout the season. If you have one that’s really leggy then go ahead & give it a really good pruning but stay above the forks.
“Charles Grimaldi” grows to at least 12′ tall but here it’s kept under 6′ tall with regular pruning.
Size: Most get 12-16′ by 12′. They are a few which cap out at 8′ (which are billed as dwarf brugmansias) & even a newer called “Angels’ Summer Dream“ which stays under 3′ but the flowers are 6″ long. So sweet – I want that one!
Flowers: Two words: Huge & fragrant! Brugmansias flower abundantly if all their needs are met. No, the fragrance is not there merely for the pleasure of we humans. It’s particularly strong & heady at night to attract pollinators to the flowers.
Some varieties having larger flowers than others. There are some with double & triple flowers – these are extra showy. They can be white, yellow, coral, pink, orange & red. Florida growers offer many more varieties than we have here in California because their climate is much more suited to their likes.
As I mentioned, most of the flowers come on new wood. A word of warning: they do drop a lot of flowers & leaves so if you’re a neat freak, this may not be the plant for you.
Brugmansias are especially beautiful to look up into.
Containers: The dwarf varieties are suitable for containers but just make sure they’re large enough. You will need to water them more in pots especially the bigger they get.
As Houseplants: I’ve never tried growing one indoors because I think there are so many more plants which are better suited to our home environments. However, you can bring it inside in the cold months just be sure give it as much light as possible. Or, you can force it into dormancy & have it wake up when put back out into the great outdoors.
This is “Betty Marshall”, a single white variety.
Here’s the Red Flag: All parts of this plant are poisonous. However, there are many of them growing in Santa Barbara and we’re all still alive. Before you gasp, numerous plants are poisonous – poinsettias, mistletoe, oleanders, azaleas & rhododendrons just to name a few. I’ve touched Brugmansias quite a few times over the years with no reaction whatsoever but you might be more sensitive. Keep them out of your eyes and use common sense … don’t eat them. If your pets like to munch on plants, then Brugmansias aren’t a good choice for you.
This is a Datura which grows as a ground cover. Notice the flowers are the same, just smaller and they grow upward. Brugmansias once had the genus Datura too.
There’s a video after these last oh so lovely pictures so be sure to check it out. Our summer evenings are warm and I can always tell if there’s a Brugmansia nearby – their scent gives them away. I love to hold those flowers to my nose and take a big inhale!
These photos won’t win any awards but you can see how Brugmansias look in a drought.
Poor plant – dead branches with ugly, stunted foliage & few flowers.
Big mistake – each of these 6 plants gets 12′ x 12′ Do you think they’ll be sorry?!
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Nell, the founder of Joy Us garden, was born into a gardening family and grew up in Connecticut’s countryside. After living in Boston, New York, San Francisco, & Santa Barbara, she now calls the Arizona desert home. She studied horticulture & garden design, working in the field all her life. Nell is a gardener, designer, blogger, Youtube creator, & author. She’s been gardening for a very long time & wants to share what she’s learned with you.
I love this plant so I purchased one in March It seemed to be growing just fine but didn’t bloom even though it got massive with beautiful leaves. We are now in our rainy season in Florida, but it seems to not be getting enough water. Most of the leaves have turned yellow and dropped. Please help
Hi Sue – Brugmansias are messy plants – they shed a lot of leaves & a lot of flowers. Yours might be going through an adjustment period. Here in drought stricken California they are still blooming but the foliage is falling off like crazy. Sometimes too much water looks like too little water so it’s hard to say. Their water needs are average & that means they like regular watering but not constant soaking. They can take all day sun along the coast here in CA but need afternoon protection from it in hotter climates. Hope that helps, Nell
having some difficulty trying to get my brugmansia to flower. Maybe im just to impatient but on two of my plants just flowered one time and thats it.How long does it normally take for the plant to flower before it generates more flowers
Hi Onofrio – Here they flower on a non-stop basis for 9 or 10 months out of the year. Once they get going, it’s regular. The quantity of flowers & size of the flowers is a bit less because of our extreme drought. As I say in the blog, they only flower above where the branches have formed a “Y”. Hope that helps, Nell
hi Nell…. thank you for responding but if i may ask you I live across from Detroit Michigan.. so it gets very humid here and the water at times i feel becomes an issue, i dont know if i over water or under water… also can you recommend a good fertilizer. Again thanks for your time it means alot. onofrio greco
Hi Onofrio – My pleasure, always happy to help with a plant issue. Brugmansias are native to the Andes & like warm days & cool nights. You may have gotten too much water at one point. Also, they do like quite a bit of sun, at lease 6 hours a day. In terms of fertilizer, I never used any when I maintained them as a professional gardener. I always top dressed them with a good dose of organic, rich compost every spring. Growers like to use a well balanced (something like 15-15-15 or 20-20-20) liquid fertilizer on them. Once in late spring & mid-summer should do it in your area. Good luck with that! Nell
My Brugmansia(3 years old) bloomed for the first time, and is very lovely. But the flowers are white and I had purchased seeds for an orange/red one. Did the seed company goof or did I do something wrong? Not enough sunlight, More acidic, less acidic soil? Any ideas?
Hi Cheryl – I’ve never heard of Brugmansia flower color reacting to soil acidity (unlike hydrangeas) or levels of light. I do know that some Brugmansia varieties don’t come true from seed, meaning you don’t get a flower or it’s a different color than the parent plant. I’d say it was what I just mentioned or a seed goof. Nell
I have a massive Brugmansia tree – 30 feet tall – in Pacific Palisades, CA. Even in the best of years its usually bare of leaves most of the year. But usually for at least a few months it grows huge leaves and then blooms white flowers. But this year with our heat wave and drought, it only grew a few leaves and those are already wilting. And NO FLOWERS! I’m worried! Is anyone else having this problem in Southern California this year?
Hi Jazmaan – Yes, Brugmansias are struggling in our drought conditions here in Southern California. They are native to tropical regions in South America so we’re pushing it in the first place to have them in our Mediterranean climate. They like regular water & humidity. The Brugmansias in Santa Barbara (except for the ones shaded from the afternoon sun) are looking really bad too. Hopefully we’ll get some winter rains & they’ll bounce bak a bit! Nell
well its October and i still have no yellow brugmansia flowers…. i have ferilized watered fertilized watered…. im flustered. I have a pink flower(brugmansia ) that only flowered once back in July…. lots of healthy leaves but no flowers
Ho Onofrio – As I said, Brugmansias only bloom above the “Y” created in the trunk. If yours doesn’t have that, then it won’t bloom. I have a picture of it in the post. Also, the they bloom much better as they age so if yours is young, the flowering will increase with time. Regarding the fertilizer, if yours has a lot of phosphorous (the middle letter) in it, this will deter blooming. Make sure that number is much lower than the N & the K. Hope that helps! Nell
Really enjoyed reading your experiences. I have four brugs. One is in the ground (probably Peach) and three in large pots (Ecuador Pink, Peach and Creamsicle). I’m a member of a couple of facebook brug groups and enjoy drooling over the many varieties they trade and sell that I can’t buy because I’m in California. Can you recommend California suppliers, especially some that sell online. I just ordered from Kartuz again (Frosty Pink this time; I got the others from them, too) but suppliers are few and far between around here. Thanks again for the great information and your willingness to share.
Hi Debi – Thank you. Overall, the Brugmansias are suffering in our California drought. There are a greater number of growers & suppliers in Florida seeing as they do better in that subtropical climate over ours which is Mediterranean. Of course, they don’t ship to California because of our ag laws. I’ve bought from some wholesalers here in CA but they don’t sell to the public nor sell online. Have you considered growing some from seed? Here’s a supplier: http://www.seedman.com/datura.htm You can also find them on ebay. Regarding plants, Annie’s Annuals up in the SF Bay Area sells a few online: https://www.anniesannuals.com/plants/?letter=B&page=4 Hope that helps! Nell
no flowers so upset hoping to get some brugmansia garden but got just leaves suggestions would be helpful thanks…Have a happy thanksgiving its the canadian one today thanks
Hi Onofrio – Is your Brugmansia growing in Canada as a houseplant? Where is it growing? Nell
they have been outside in the 90 degree weather plenty of water and fertilizer…. now its starting to cool off . Im totaly baffeled. What do you think… Thankyou again
Hi Onofrio – I’ve always had Brugmansias bloom. Here are the reasons, that I’m aware of, as to why they don’t bloom: the plant is too young, the “Y’s” haven’t formed yet, too much phosphorous in the fertilizer you’re using, it’s potbound, it’s not getting enough sun & it’s too dry. Nell
ill change the size of the pot even though i think it is sufficient enough. Ill look at the fertilizer im using and give it another go . I think there is time still for one bloom. If I get a bloom Ill send you a flower as a sign of my gratitude for your time. Thanks again
You’re welcome Onofrio. I wish I could have been more help with a specific reason but with plants it’s sometimes hard to tell, even if you see them. Here in CA they are blooming less (some not at all) because of the drought. I hope you get some flowers! Nell
Hello from Boston! I have a 4-year old Brug that’s grown very tall and was knocked down by the wind a few times this past summer. I only had one flower — this week. I over winter it inside in a dark basement, but it’s too tall to fit in my basement now. The first Y is 6 feet up the trunk, and there are many branches above it.
Here’s my question: can I basically start over and cut it almost to the ground? Or trim just above the Y at the 6 ft. mark? Would it make a difference in flower production?
Well hello from California Charles! I’m originally from CT & lived in Boston (actually Newton Corner for a year) so I know the area well. I’ve always grown Brugmansias outdoors in a temperate climate so that being said, here’s my answer. Burgmansias are grown for their flowers & don’t flower until a Y forms in the trunk. For that reason, I’d cut it just above the Y otherwise it’s going to take a while for that Y to form again. Hope that helps! Nell
I had a Brugmasia for 3 years now, it bloomed the first year nicely. Last year it just got buds and got too cold for it and they never developed. This year it took forever to grow and got ready to develop buds on the Y and sure enough, the cold got it. It actually was warm this fall and grew into November. It seems there is never enough time for it to grow and flower before I have to bring it inside. I’m in Southeast Michigan but Ive seen others grow them and further north. It took quite awhile to re-grow this spring. it’s on my deck and gets about 4-7 hours sun daily depending sun angle and trees. It’s the beautiful coral and white trumpets. What to do to get it to grow faster & flower. What do you suggest? How about when I overwinter inside like a houseplant?
Hi Bill – Brugmansias are actually small trees & bloom better & more as they age. The growing season is long here in CA so they have plenty of time to develop & bloom each season, ususally almost all year long. Yours just needs less cold so it can really get going & flower. There are 2 things that the growers recommend in cold climates: 1) Cut it back (above the Y’s of course), remove the foliage, store it in a basement or garage & back off on the water. You’re basically forcing it into dormancy. 2) Treat it like a houseplant & bring it indoors. It would need lots of natural light, like south &/or west windows. If you have enough light, it seems to me that this option would be more conducive to bringing about flowering once your weather warms & you can put it back outside. Hope that helps! Nell
Hello; Bruggie lover here…I am in Canada and I have a potted brug that’s about 25 years old. Thanx for the tip about the phosphorus; I was wondering what was holding up its blossoming! I am pretty sure that is the problem! Have you ever seen a datura metel with its purple black stems and purple- stained flowers and their weird seed pods? STUNNING. They are also fragrant during the day as opposed to night, smelling sort of like “Old Spice”.
Hi Bruggie lover – You’re very welcome. If the soil is deficient in phosphorous, Brugmansias flower very little or not all. And yes, I have seen the Datura metel but have never smelled it. Next time I come across it during the day, I’ll give it a sniff! Happy gardening, Nell
Hi Nell…what a great site!..I live in BC on the coast. I have 2 brugs and they have both Yd!..but I’m wondering about all the small leaves on the plants, they are everywhere. I shouldn’t pinch those off, right?..don’t want to damage my Grimaldi!
thanks a bunch, Pauline
Hi Pauline – Oh, beautiful BC! Brugmansias loose leaves as part of their normal growing process. They shed some of the older leaves to make way for that new growth. Leave those smasller leaves on. They can also loose leaves in reaction to environmental changes like a cold snap, sudden changes in temperature, etc. Here in Southern California they’re loosing a lot of leaves because of our severe drought – they’re not happy at all. And, if you fertilize, don’t use 1 with too much nitrogen or do it too often – they don’t like it. Thanks so much for dropping by – I really appreciate it! Happy gardening, Nell
Love all the questions and answers. Just got my first brugmansia, and I hope it will help me take care of it.
Hi Silva – Thanks – I hope this helps too! Their flowers are so impressive & scented (more so in the eve) that I’m sure you’ll love it. Nell
My Brug, Charles Grimaldi had a Y and I cut off the smaller branch of the Y as I thought only one stem made them stronger. There is no blooming. The other one never got the Y. What can I do? They are just pretty green plants, no flowers. I have been feeding them. Thank you! Hilary
Hi Hilary – Brugmansias bloom bigger & better as they age. I’ve never had an issue with 1 not flowering. As long as you didn’t cut below the Y, I ould think that 1 branch should eventually get some blooms. Otherwise, you might have to wait until another Y forms. You can remove all the leaves & shoots below the Y. You might have been feeding them appropriately. They are members of the Solanceae family & like to be fed similarly to tomatoes. Hope that helps, Nell
Hello, and thanks for posting. I have one of these trees–or something very close to it–that was presented as a “Shredded White” when I purchased it at a flower show @1 year ago. When I purchased it, the tree was lush with leaves and blooms; I planted it in partial shade here on a barrier island off the Gulf Coast of Florida (Zone 10a). It had been doing great through the winter, though sadly, it’s a shadow of what it once looked like and it appears close to your “won’t win any awards” photos. There are very few leaves now and the branches look shriveled up. It is very hot and humid here, though it does rain on average twice a week. You mention that fertilizer is not necessary with these, so would you say its poor health is due to a lack of water? The blooms are (were) beautiful and I hope that I can revive it! Sorry that there’s no way to post a photo. Any words of encouragement you may have would be great! Thank you!
Hi – You’re very welcome. Twice a week on the water should be plenty (especially because it’s in partial shade), at long as it’s deep watering. Some of the brugmansias can take up to 2 years to flower after 1st planting. In general they don’t require fertilizing but yours sounds as though it needs it. They respond best to a liquid fertilizer with balanced numbers like 15-15-15 or 20-20-20. Because they are in the tomato/potato family, a fertilizer specified for tomatoes would be fine too. I would then put layer good,rich compost at the base. Never fertilize when the plant is dry. Also, don’t fertilize past fall because the plants need to rest a bit in winter. Hope that helps, Nell
Hi Nell,
I recently moved six months ago and transplanted my two brugmansia’s as soon as we moved in. They bloomed at my previous residence but have yet to produce any flowers. They look much healthier as they receive regular waterings from my timed sprinklers. They are north facing, and receive morning/early afternoon sun. I have fed them with miracle grow, but they aren’t blooming. Any thoughts?
Hi Anita – Brugmansias flower after they form the “Y”. If you pruned before transplanting, that could be it. Or: the watering isn’t deep enough, they aren’t getting enough sun (5-6 hours) & the fertilizer isn’t the right formulation. They prefer 15-15-15 or 20-20-20. Nell
My yellow angel trumpet started producing leaves and the weather dropped to 30 degrees and froze. I cut it off to 10 inches above ground. Did I kill it?
Hi Pam – The roots probably didn’t freeze if it was only 1 night of a late freeze. Be patient, give it as much warmth as you can & hopefully you’ll see foliage reappearing soon. It won’t flower for a while because the “Y” has to form again. Nell
hi would these grow in the west of Ireland or do we have to wet and windy climate for them and of course we dont get that much sun
Hi Dorothy – Brugmansias are native to tropical areas of South & Central America so the rain probably wouldn’t be a problem. The lack of sun & warm temps might. Most Brugmansias can only take temps as low as 30 degrees F. Nell
I was given some angel trumpets (datura) I believe. What do I do after they bloom, fall over. And turn brown? I tried to pull it off and I left it there.
Hi Bianca – I always let the flowers fall off on their own because there were so many of them. Also, the plants were quite fall & the flowers were hard to reach. You can dead head them if you prefer. Nell
Hi Nell. My Angel looks like it is having a tough time. It is producing leaves, but they are turning yellow and look like they are being chewed on. I am using neem everyday, its been 5 or 6 days now. I also used Nutri-20 very sparingly, along with some miracle grow for tomatoes. The weather hasn’t been all that great in Pennsylvania yet, and it was repotted a few weeks ago. The plant is about 3 years old now, and only bloomed the first year with nothing since. Am I doing something wrong??
Hi Tom – If your Brugmansia is being chewed by caterpillars which could be causing the holes, a BT spray is best for that. However, because you only have 1 & it’s probably not too big, I’d just pick them off. Brugmansias thrive on the coast of CA where it’s bright & temperate but not too sunny & hot. I always fed them with compost & worm compost but in pots a tomato fertilizer, like you’re using, is best. It’s been semi-dormant over the winter & sounds like the weather isn’t that warm yet. Nell
Hello
I live in Canada(Near Toronto) so we purchase burgs and needed to winter them indoors, I started mine from cuttings and in Febuary now currently are about 24 inches high but had my first experiences with saggy droopy looking plants of which I trasplanted to bigger pots 24′ + and removed all leaves from “V” down this has started to make a difference and of course it’s getting allot warmer!
loved your blog on brugs and it really reassured me I should be ok as leaf loss is normal.
Hi Johnathen – Oh yes, they do drop leaves like crazy! It happens for various reasons but the most common is that brugmansias shed those older leaves to make room for the new growth. The smell of the flowers in the evening is intoxicating! Happy Spring, Nell
I’m in San Diego near the beach and have been having trouble with my angel trumpet which I have had for about a year. It is about 3-4 feet tall right now and has been planted in the soil in a sunny spot. I had around 10 flowers in April, and mid bloom almost all the leaves started yellowing and falling off. I have some new leaves starting to come in but not very many. Also I have three main branches but three of them are starting to yellow too!! I already had to cutting of some branches in early spring that died. Not sure what to do! It seems like every time it flowers the plant starts deteriorating. I just added compost (the soil was very sandy). Any idea what may be wrong?
Hi Justine – Perhaps it’s not getting enough water; California’s been dry for a while now. They need a deep watering every now & then instead of frequent shallow waterings. Hot afternoon sun can also cause them to yellow as well as improper fertilizing. Nell
Hello:
I live in Valencia, Ca, and I am trying to find a place that sells Brugmansia (angel Trumpets locally. I am especially interested in the following:
Brugmansia candida Double White [plena]
and the Brugmansia ‘Charles Grimaldi’
Could you please tell me where I can locate a nursery selling them locally or in Santa Barbara and have them shipped here.
Thank you
Hi Dennis – I moved to Tucson AZ but there are a few nurseries in SB that you can try. Seaside Gardens, La Sumida & Terra Sol. I’m not familiar with nurseries in your area but you can also try Roger’s Gardens in Corona Del Mar. Nell
Here in Florida we had a bad drought last summer and then 3 nights of hard freezes. My Brugmansia is not doing well and has started to rot inside the trunk where there is now a long hole on the inside. A landscaper mistakenly cut it all the way down to the stump. Is there any chance for it to grow back? There is one stem growing toward the base of the trunk but that’s it. I wish i could post a photo of it to give you a better idea.
Hi Jane – It depends on if the roots had any damage too. Sounds like there’s some coming back though but I would think in Florida it would be showing more growth by now. If it does come back, it may not have a good form. I really can’t say but if there’s 2 things Brugmansias don’t like it’s being too dry & cold temps. Give it another month or so & see. Nell
Hi, I took a couple cuttings from my Brugmansia trees and started new plants. They are doing well and are about 4 ft tall but still have no Y in the trunk. I have removed some of the lower leaves on the trunk. Am I doing something wrong? How tall are they before the Y forms? Thanks… Linda
Linda –
When started as cuttings, it can take Brugmansias 3-5 years to flower. Nell
Nell,
In my previous post I ask about how long it takes for the Y to form. I started a couple cutting from my Brugmansia tree earlier this year. They have flower buds on them but still no Y in the main trunk. So I don’t know if I should remove anymore of the lower leaves on the stem. Have removed several because I want it more tree like.