Angel's Trumpet

Wow! Whoever said, "Leave room in the garden for angels to dance" must have had Angel's Trumpet in their garden.

A few evenings ago, let's say around twilight because it sounds much more intriguing, I was out watering in the herb garden not really noticing anything until I turned to water this pot with the Angel's trumpet. This is the first year I have grown one and if I'd realized how beautiful a plant Angel's Trumpet (Brugmansia Seaveolens) actually is, I'd have had this in the garden years earlier.

Seeds for Spanish Flag vine were planted in the eary spring and never appeared in this pot at the base of an umbrella trellis. So, never one to let an empty space in the garden be, I knew I had to find something for this particular place. It (the Angel's Trumpet plant in it's 4" pot) didn't look like much back in May, but I decided to try it anyway. Thinking I could train it to grow up the trellis, I planted it there. Nice location but wrong idea. I now know that Angel's trumpet can grow to be a large bush and even clipped and trimmed into a small ornamental tree form but climbing vine it is not.

It doesn't matter. It's beautiful where it is with its coursely toothed foliage and spectacular blossoms clustered together on branches that bend and turn giving the illusion of a giant crown. The fragrance, especially in the evening, is sweetly scented. It is just a beautiful plant.

I understand that Angel's Trumpet, also known as Datura or Angel Star, comes in many different colors ranging from red to yellow to salmon with the white, which I have, being the most common. It originated in South America and is related to tomatoes, tobacco and petunias...ahhh petunias...no wonder why I like Angel's Trumpet, it's related to petunias one of my most favorite of all flowers. Once Angel's Trumpet has bloomed and the petals have fallen off, a little prickly ball-shaped seed pod forms. The seeds are poisonous but the pods are pretty interesting to look at so, I'll have to keep Tucker away from these. Deer hate this plant(no wonder why there hasn't been any nighttime munching on this) so maybe Tucker will, too.

Perhaps I can make a cutting or save a seed pod and start it from seed next spring. I doubt it will survive the winter, even if it is a mild one, in this outdoor pot that will not come into the greenhouse. So, I'll try and see what comes from this and hope for the best. Maybe the dancing Angels will keep watch over it for me.