Description of the brugmansia plant, advice on growing in the garden and indoors, methods of reproduction, a florist for a note, the fight against possible diseases and pests, species. Brugmansia (Brugmansia) belongs to the genus of plants included in the family Solanaceae (Solanaceae). A little earlier he was separated from the Datura clan, or as it is called Datura. Basically, all species are found in areas with tropical and subtropical climates, although the native lands of this decorative representative of the flora belong to Latin America. In culture, out of all the variety, it is customary to use 5 species and their varietal variations.
| Family name | Nightshade |
| Life cycle | Perennial |
| Growth features | Shrub or short tree |
| Reproduction | Seed and vegetative (cuttings or rooting of cuttings |
| Landing period in open ground | Rooted cuttings, planted in May or summer |
| Substrate | Light and fertile |
| Illumination | Open area with bright lighting |
| Moisture indicators | Moisture stagnation is harmful, watering is moderate, drainage is recommended |
| Special Requirements | Unpretentious |
| Plant height | Up to 5 m |
| Color of flowers | Snow-white, cream, scarlet, yellow and yellow-green, orange, pink or blue |
| Type of flowers, inflorescences | Single flowers |
| Flowering time | Summer |
| Decorative time | Spring-summer |
| Place of application | Tapeworm plant, flower arrangements |
| USDA zone | 5–9 |
This plant bears its scientific name in honor of the botanist from the Netherlands Sebald Justinus Brygmans, who lived in 1763-1819, who at the same time was still engaged in healing and served as rector of Leiden University. Because of the shape of the flowers, the people call this representative of the flora "trumpets of an angel" or "trumpets of angels".
Basically, all brugmansia have a shrub or tree-like shape, but in the latter case, their height rarely exceeds 5 meters. When cultivated in our latitudes, the plant basically takes the form of a shrub with wide outlines of a horizontally formed crown. Young stems very quickly begin to lignify, and their surface is covered with a brown-greenish bark, smooth to the touch. When the shoots are young, large egg-shaped leaf plates unfold on them. Each leaf has an elongated petiole and on the branches they are arranged in pairs.
The surface of the foliage is leathery, the color is mainly dark green, but as a decoration along all the veins (both central and lateral) there are stripes of a lighter shade. All leaves are covered with pubescence of short bluish hairs.
But it is clear that only flowering becomes a real decoration of the "angel's trumpet" plant. Brugmansia flowers begin to bloom in the summer, while the number of opened buds is quite large. Often on one bush you can count up to a hundred "gramophones", as the people call such flowers. Each long peduncle is topped with a large bud, allowing it to hang under a green crown. When the flower reaches its maximum opening, then its length can vary in the range of 15-30 cm, while the diameter of the widest part of the corolla is about 17 cm.
The flower petals have a variety of colors: snow-white, cream, scarlet, yellow and yellow-green, orange, pink or blue. The shape of the corolla can be either simple or terry, when there is an additional row of petals inside. When flowering next to the plantings of this plant, a pleasant rich aroma is heard. Brugmansia flowers are distinguished by a curious feature, when in summer the day is especially hot and sunny, the flower gramophones stand close, and begin to open only with the arrival of the evening hours.
Since the plant has the appearance of a shrub or a small tree, flower arrangements are planted with it, in which "angel pipes" will be used as a tapeworm.
Brugmansiya: rules for planting and care in the open field and at home
- Choosing a landing site. They choose a place in the bright sun, with protection from wind and draft.
- Soil for brugmansia light and fertile will do, you can mix loam, humus or compost, peat (2 parts are taken). After that, the soil mixture is watered with a solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection. You can use universal soil, but with the addition of peat, sand and compost.
- Growing temperature will be comfortable for the plant at 22-25 degrees, and in winter not lower than 10-15. If in winter the outdoor temperature does not drop below 5 degrees Celsius, then it can be grown without changing the place in the open field.
- Watering. In the summer heat, "angel pipes" are watered daily and abundantly, spraying will also be required. If the weather is cloudy, then the soil is not allowed to dry out. After watering, the soil is loosened.
- Landing. Usually the plant is thermophilic and in our latitudes it will not endure the winter, therefore it is recommended to plant the "trumpets of angels" in pots or in the fall to carry out a transplant in containers that are transferred to a cool room for the winter. Brugmansia is planted in open ground in May or throughout the summer.
- Fertilizers. Angel Trumpets are very fond of feeding. Complex mineral preparations such as "Kemira Plus" or "Kemira Universal" are used. You can take others designed for flowering plants. The frequency of feeding is once a week, from September the feeding is stopped.
- Pruning held in March. Sick and dried branches are completely removed, the rest are shortened by a third.
Breeding methods of brugmansia
To get a new Angel Trumpet plant, it is recommended to sow seeds or carry out vegetative propagation (cuttings or root layers).
- Reproduction using layering. Usually, using this method, the plant is propagated between May and June. However, with this method of reproduction, the resulting bush will not differ in large size, but the flowering will not suffer much. Choose a healthy and well-developed last year's branch with a diameter of about 2 cm, on which an incision is made across. Some make a "Y" cut, about a quarter of the thickness of the shoot. After that, the "wound" is treated with a growth stimulant (for example, Kornevin) and wrapped in moistened sphagnum moss. From above, they are tied with a plastic bag (so that the humidity in this place is increased and the moisture does not evaporate so quickly) and fixed with a stern thread. When caring for the layer, it is important to ensure that the moss is always in a moist state; for this, a medical syringe can be used, with the help of which water is poured into the polyethylene cover. It will take one and a half to two months and the moss cover is removed from the cut, then it is clear that root shoots have appeared in this place. The shoot is carefully cut with a sharp garden tool from the mother plant. Then, all the foliage and flowers of the brugmansia are cut off from the cut, and it is planted in a pot filled with light and nutritious soil (a peat-sand mixture can act as it). When 14–20 days have passed, the young plant is transplanted into a larger container or to a permanent place in the garden. In order for rooting to be successful, it is recommended to spray daily from a fine spray gun and shade from direct sunlight.
- Cuttings. In order to cut blanks for cuttings, you need to select annual branches from the top of the crown. The length of the cutting is usually 15–25 cm, and it must also have a growing point and at least one branch at the top. Slicing is carried out in May-June. All foliage from the workpiece is removed so that all forces go to rooting. The lower cut of the cutting is treated with a biostimulator and placed in a container with boiled water. It is recommended to change the water daily or throw an activated carbon tablet into the vessel. The cuttings are placed in a warm place with adequate lighting, but no direct sunlight. When 14 days have passed, you can see the roots released by cuttings of brugmansia. If the length of the root shoots becomes 5 cm, then they must be planted in a peat-sand mixture poured into a pot. While the seedlings are rooting over the course of a two-week period, they should be sprayed every day. If the growth of the roots is slow or the workpiece has begun to rot, then planting is carried out directly into the substrate (perlite can also act as it), but before that, the entire rotten part is cut off. The soil should be constantly in a moderately moist state. The container with seedlings is placed in a warm and bright place. But as the roots grow, young brugmansia is gradually taught to direct sunlight. Seedlings are transplanted into open ground after about a month.
- Seed reproduction. With this method, the parental characteristics of the plant can be lost. Brugmansia seeds are first soaked for a couple of days in a growth stimulator, and then planted in the soil from mid-winter to March. Peat-sandy soil is used. The seeding depth is 0.5–1 cm. A piece of glass is placed on top of the container with crops or wrapped in a plastic bag. Germination is carried out at a temperature of 25 degrees with diffused lighting. When 10–20 days have passed, you can see the first shoots. During this period, the shelter is removed and the seedlings are sprayed twice a day with boiled water from a fine spray bottle. When watering, it is important to maintain the "golden mean" - the soil should always be wet, but not flooded and not dry out too much. When a real pair of leaves unfold on the seedlings (but some are expecting the fifth leaf), then a dive is carried out in separate pots. When two months have passed from the time of planting, you need to perform the first fertilizing with fertilizers with a high nitrogen content, to build up the deciduous mass, after 4 months, complex preparations are already used. The "angelic trumpets" obtained in this way will please with flowering only after 2-3 years.
To a florist on a note about the brugmansia flower
It is curious that brugmansia got its popular name "angelic trumpets" not only because of the outlines of large flowers. All this is because in some regions of natural growth, the growth of buds occurs just before our eyes. So in just a day, the flowers of "dope" can increase by 3-4 cm. If the conditions are favorable, then these parameters will even reach 6-7 cm.
Attention! It is important to remember that all parts of Brugmansia are highly toxic. It is so dangerous that in some countries the plant is even prohibited from planting in public places. If you stay near a flowering bush or tree for a long time, the scent of flowers will cause a severe headache, while the substances that exude brugmansia flowers are toxic and over time this can lead to hallucinations. It is recommended that all work on the care of the "angel pipes" be carried out only by wearing gloves, as the juice irritates the skin. Despite all the toxicity, such a variety as Brugmansia candida has long been known for its medicinal properties. For example, at home (in Latin America) with its help it is customary to treat abscesses, various swollen, manifestations of rheumatism and arthrosis, or to help with asthma and eye infections. It serves as an excellent anthelmintic, and if it is necessary to make a compress, then crushed fresh foliage and flowers are used.
Whole plantations of such shrubs and trees have been planted on the territory of Argentina in order to use their parts as raw materials for the manufacture of pharmacological and biochemical agents.
Fight against possible diseases and pests of brugmansia
Despite its toxicity when growing a plant in a garden, it is not immune from damage by harmful insects. Among these are:
- a spider mite, which begins to cover the shoots and leaves with a thin cobweb, sucks out the juices and the plant begins to die;
- aphids are clearly visible, as they are green bugs, which cover the stems and leaves in large quantities on the back side, while they leave a sticky sweetish bloom (pad), which can provoke a fungal disease - sooty fungus;
- caterpillars and slugs eating foliage.
It is clear that when caring for brugmansia in the garden, it is recommended to carry out regular inspections of the plant, and if traces of pests are detected, then immediately spraying with insecticidal preparations, like Aktara or Aktellik, can also be used Karbofos or Fitoverm. It is recommended to thoroughly spray each leaf and the entire surface of the branches with the tool. Bushes of "angel pipes" are processed twice a week until it becomes clear that all pests and their eggs have been destroyed.
Among the problems that arise when growing outdoors are the following:
- Dumping of unopened buds, a change in the color of leaf plates and stretching of shoots occurs due to insufficient lighting or when watering rules are grossly violated.
- If brugmansia is already a three-year-old plant, but flowering does not occur in any way, then, in all likelihood, the reason was the incorrect use of dressings, that is, there is a large amount of nitrogen in the fertilizers, due to which foliage builds up to the detriment of the laying of flower buds.
Types of brugmansia
Fragrant Brugmansia (Brugmansia suaveolens) is also called Fragrant Brugmansia. The native area of natural growth falls on the lands of Brazil. The plant grows best in hot climates. If the conditions are comfortable, then flowering will become year-round. It is a shrub up to 5 cm. During flowering, the buds of a snow-white or light greenish color are revealed. The diameter of the flower at full disclosure reaches 15 cm, with a length of about 30 cm.
Brugmansia golden (Brugmansia aurea). It is clear that this species owes its name to the color of the flowers - it is a bright yellowish-orange hue, but occasionally they can be cream or pinkish. But also the difference from other representatives of the genus is the size of the leaf plates, the length of which can reach half a meter.
The native land is the territory of Colombia. Basically it looks like a tree, which varies in height within 2–4 m. The branches grow with a bend, gradually drooping and woody. The buds begin to bloom in the evening hours, reaching full disclosure at night. Strong aroma is present.
Snow-white Brugmansia (Brugmansia candida) it is often called arboreal Brugmansia. It was this species that served as the basis for breeding multiple hybrids. The height of this shrub in nature can be measured by three meters. It is clear that the color of the blossoming flowers is of a pure snow-white color scheme. The flower reaches 25 cm in length. The shape of the flower is tubular.
The leaf blade is oval and slightly pubescent, although the edges of the leaf are smooth. The leaf is attached to the branch with a long petiole, the length of which is 13 cm. The variety is frost-resistant.
Brugmansia multi-colored (Brugmansia versicolor). It is a shrub. The name of its variety is due to the fact that while the plant is young, snow-white flowers bloom on it, but over the years, the color of flowers begins to take on a peach or orange tone. The height of the shrub does not exceed 4–5 m, the length of the flower can approach half a meter.
Video about brugmansia:
