Angel's Trumpet-short lived flower?

[DigitalVinyl]

Anyone growing these (Brugmansia, formerly was datura meterloides--spelled from memory)

I've got one growing (all white flower). I seeded it a bit late (May

20th) but it has grow quickly. It bloomed its first flower 3 days ago but I only got to enjoy it for a day. The plant was wetted down from a thunderstorm the night after the flower opened. The next day it was drooping down, mashed closed. After that it started browning throughout the petal tip and when I touched the 8" petal cone it separated from the bud.

Is this normal? Are the flowers that short lived or was this because of the rain? Should I cut the petal-less flower base off to avoid a seed pod and encourage more growth.

I haven't been fertilizing this much. It is growing in a pot of equal thirds mix of composted manure, peat & perlite. I've got two more flowers growing now on it and it looks like a bunch of branches are starting in the V of each existing branch.

I am hoping to overwinter this plant indoors this year (it is Zone

9-10 I believe) and repot in a tub for next years growth.

some side info...

We are experiencing occasional torrential downpours (2 inches in an hour). We have already reached August's average rainfall. This plant is more sheltered since it is against the house wall facing SW and under an overhang so it doesn't drown like many of the other plants do.

This plant has also been attacked twice by bugs chewing the leaves which is a shame cause they are supple and velvety to touch and very attractive. One left yellow eggs everywhere and tiny yellow inch-worms. Another were colorful Orange and black beetles. I think they were stripped more than dotted. I have been cleaning them off by hand.

DiGiTAL ViNYL (no email) Zone 6b/7, Westchester Co, NY, 1 mile off L.I.Sound

1st Year Gardener

[Daniel]

Yes, The flowers pretty much bloom at night (late evening) and are fading by mid morning. Good luck on over wintering them. I did grow one plant indoors last summer, and it did have a great bloom on it but died shortly afterwards. I really can't say if breaking off the spent flowers will incourage more flowers -I never did notice a difference. I usually let the plant form some seed pods and harvest them for the following summer - I live in Michigan. Last of all, I have noticed small Datura plants growing from the previous years seeds in various pots - like my Elephant ears :-).

Dan

[Jim Shaffer, Jr.]

I've never grown Brugmansias, but my Daturas only bloom for one night unless the next day is cool and dark.

[jrstark]

A lot of our blooms last for 2 nights, but they aren't as pretty the second night.

Janine

[DigitalVinyl]

I've read that Datura was reclassified as Brugmansia but information is confusing. It looks like Datura meteloides didn't get changed. My seed packet said d.m. The Sunset book says D.meteloides have upward facing flowers and Brugmansia hang downward. I don't know how true that is... mine start straight up but when blossomed hang downward facing.

Good to know that plant is surviving me.

Well they are hardy to Zone 9-10 and I'm a Zone 6b/7. I'd like to try and grow this larger. I know most treat it as an annual except in a few nurseries which sell them as 7 foot trees.

Thanks DiGiTAL ViNYL (no email) Zone 6b/7, Westchester Co, NY, 1 mile off L.I.Sound

1st Year Gardener

[murphy]

...i've had angels trumpet plants for several summers....mine is a sort of salmon pink with 8 - 10 inche trumpets that hang down and with a fragrance that will knock your sox off at night...alas, the blooms only last a few days but are still worth it for the impact....

....i live in the pacific north west ( zone 6?) and grow my plants in pots....they usually are about 4 - 5 feet tall by the end of the summer....they are very very easy to grow from cuttings....and if i am smart i will cut the plants back in the fall and root them then.....i move the whole flock indoors once it gets cool at night ( october? ) and put them in the coolest room in the house near a window....sometimes all the leaves fall off, sometimes not...regardless, they winter fine and are one of the least fussy plants i have ever grown....

...they like all the water and feed you can throw at them....i usually just put in some time release pellets when i think of it...

murphy