Angel Trumpet - Brugmansia

The Angel Trumpet has proved to be a very reliable perennial in my garden. It usually grows to a height of  about six feet - This year, due to the drought I'm sure, it only got to about five feet.

It is of the nightshade family and all parts of the plant are poison if ingested. Many people don't like to use it because of their pets and possibly children becoming poisoned. However, I've never seen my dogs trying to eat it and the children that are in my gardens are supervised.


Due to its height it really needs to be at the back of the garden. You'd think with stalks this high it would require staking, but it does not. The stalks are firm and sturdy.
 
The plant is upright with several stalks with huge leaves from the bottom upward. The flowers are pendelum shaped and it usually starts blooming in July and keeps blooming until the days get really cool and short providing it's deadhaded regularly; however, this year mine didn't bloom until late September. Again, I blame the drought.

It's really easy to propagate. You can put a stem in water and in a short period of time roots will form and soon it'll be ready to plant in the ground.

Or you can do as I do ..dig a shallow trench next to the plant . .lay a stem (with the leaves broken off) in the trench and water well. Lay a brick or some other heavy item over it and next spring you'll have a new plant ready to either leave in place or move to another area.

When the frost kills the stalks back, I simply cut it to the ground and wait for next years growth!