Angel trumpet ?

[lesa]

One of my favorite plants, is my beautiful angel trumpet. I have had it for several years and dig it up to winter over, inside...This year it got huge!!! Very nice for the garden, but where the heck am I going to fit that??? Does anyone else dig theirs up? Can I cut it way back? It looses it's leaves in the house and does not start growing again, until spring- so I am thinking it will be fine to cut back? I hate to loose this plant, any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Greensage45]

First it is important to know if this is an Angel's Trumpet or a Devil's Trumpet.

The blooms of the Angel's Trumpet point downward (as if from heaven), and the blooms of the Devil's Trumpet point upward (as if from you know where...earth) LOL

The Angel's Trumpet is Brugmansia. The Devil's Trumpet is Datura.

The Datura can be left outdoors to winter, and will bloom from seed in it's first season. This can be quite invasive if the seeds are left to distribute in the garden. Datura comes in purple, yellow, and white, and can be a double flower too. Some folks know this plant as Jimson Weed.

The Brugmansia would likely freeze underground in your zone. It is best to continue to do as you do and just participate in more pruning measures. The nice thing about Brugmansia is that along all the stems are tiny nodules, sort of like little scab marks; all of these nodules are potential roots, so placing all these cuttings in water to create more is the way to go if you want to propagate them. Seeds are not likely without several blooming seasons and more abundant blooms (such as those in the south), so cuttings are the way to propagate.

Cuttings of the Brugmansia (rooted and non-rooted) sell very well on places like Ebay. You might even check them out and collect new colors and cultivars that way.

So your answer would be when you dig it up for the year cut it accordingly; even if you are cutting it down low. Then root all those cuttings in just some water vases (takes less than two weeks) and pass them out to your friends, or create a set of potted dormant starts (I do mine in 1 gallon containers) and then come Spring put them all into the ground.

If a freeze hits before you get your plant out of the ground and all the branches freeze it is no problem. The root base will act as all tender perennials do and will resprout several new sprouts once the warmer temperatures return. So overwintering a dormant rootball might happen if a freak storm should happen suddenly one year.

Have you taken pictures of your plant in bloom? What color are the blooms?

Ron

here are some I have grown, and still grow each year, I show these older pictures because they are not in bloom right now. My current plants are about 4ft tall now and have still yet to split into the 'Y' that starts the blooms; maybe soon.

 

[lesa]

Thanks Ron! I have both- the angel and devil! The one in question, is the angel. Mine looks exactly like the one you pictured. Kind of a peachy color. Yes, I have pics, but I am too dumb to post them...I am so glad you mentioned the propagation method. I have always been puzzled why I didn't find any seed pods. The devil trumpet can't wait to produce those seed filled pods! I will certainly try and root as many as possible- it is one of my favorite plants. The fragrance is out of this world! Looking forward to gardens filled with Brugsmansia! Thanks for your help!