Close your eyes and say “Victorian garden” out loud. Is it a romantic image of wandering roses and sweet thoughts that you see? Perhaps a potted fern or a mussie tussie brimming with violets? Now what about pampas grass, castor beans, and banana plants? Hmm … I thought not.
Victorians loved the bold, the big, and the dramatic in their gardens. The invention of the portable greenhouse, called the Edwardian case, had increased the range of possibilities for plants by the mid-19th century and specimens from Australia, South America, and Africa became readily available. Victorians went crazy for the exotic.
If you are also driven by a strong desire for the exotic; one blessed with more than the usually allotted share of vintage presence and flair, I yell at him, “Brugmansia!”
Brugmansia was discovered in South America by Alexander Von Humboldt and Aime Bonpland in the early 19th century. All five species belong to the Solanaceae family. Narcotic and hallucinogenic compounds make all parts of Brugmansia extremely poisonous to humans.
Best known in Angel Trumpet, this alluring plant has absolutely everything drama-loving gardeners, past or present, could wish for. It is hauntingly beautiful, with generous amounts of fleshy, drooping, bell-shaped blooms that reach twenty inches in length. The flowers are especially fragrant in the evening hours and even more so during the full moon.
It is perfection as a specimen planting or when mixed with other plants in your landscape. Happy in full sun or partial shade, it will stretch four to six feet in one summer. And although it is tropical, Angel Trumpets can survive further north. The leaves can fall in a cold snap and the stems will freeze at temperatures below 27 °, but new growth can be expected in spring.
Don’t you want to leave those things to chance? In that case, place your Angel Trumpet in a large container that can be moved indoors during the winter months.
It can be difficult to grow from seed and will truly be a burden on the most patient gardeners, but it is easily grown from cuttings and is a treasure to receive. Start new plants by taking a 4-6 “mature-growing cutting with clearly visible” bumps “and small white spots. Cut above a Y where new branches would form and remove all but the smallest leaves. Place the cutting on a glass container filled with water at regular room temperature.
Once rooted, plant in a 2-4 “pot and place in dappled shade, fertilizing only once you see definite signs of new growth. By the end of the second week, your Angel Trumpet should be ready for more direct light. and for five weeks ready to transplant in your garden or 1-3 gallon container. Fertilize twice a week during spring and summer, remembering that this is a plant that loves its nitrogen. If you overwinter indoors , cut back to two feet, give up fertilizing and lightly water only when needed.
While Victorian gardeners were very fond of the ghostly white flowers of B Suaveolans, the following cultivars would surely have pleased them and will likely please you as well.
– Charles Grimaldi: medium in size with flowers that open lemon yellow and mature into a deep gourd
– Jean Pasco: One of the largest flowering cultivars with pale pink flowers up to 12 “wide.
– Pink Badges: A vigorous grower with light pink apple blossoms.
– Dr. Seuss: If you’re only going to own one, this might be your pick – a heavy, extremely fragrant bloomer. The huge yellow flowers ripen to a pale orange sherbet.
If you are interested, look up the book Brugmansias and Daturas, by Ulrike Preissel, or visit AmericanBrugmansia-DaturaSociety.org for more information. Now you are ready to jump into the world of Brugmansia!
