Many nurseries are now stocked with Brugmansias. Kolaczkowski says that since they grow so rapidly, they don’t need fertilizer, but Weidner reports good results with occasional feeding to encourage deep green leaf color. Gardeners can choose to fertilize them or not, depending on time and effort they want to spend. Kolaczkowski recommends the latter approach, although Weidner reports good results using fertilizers containing systemic insecticides.īrugmansias also like moist soil conditions, but overwatering can make them susceptible to attacks by soil fungi. Gardeners can spray against the insect invasion with chemicals or blasts of water or choose to ignore them, because insects won’t kill the plants. “After five years or so, the plants build up enough toxicity that the insects die and the plants are then defended from further attacks,” he said. This is another reason Kolaczkowski recommends placing them in the background, so the insect damage isn’t as noticeable. Insects find the plants very attractive-they love to feast on the narcotic leaves and flowers. The plants are also susceptible to frost. Inland, they appreciate a daily misting in late afternoon. Inland, they should be planted where they receive afternoon shade so they can cool down as they would in their native Andes mountains. When they’re planted in conditions they like, they thrive in Orange County.Īlong the coast, they can be planted in full sun and are almost indestructible. “They’re native to the Andes, and they prefer the cool climate at their native altitude of 4,000 to 5,000 feet,” Kolaczkowski explained. Despite a straggly, sickly appearance, the plant usually survives and re-blooms. The problem is that the plants are prone to dropping their leaves and flowers with temperature fluctuations such as cold snaps or Santa Ana conditions. “They remind me of Republicans they don’t like change,” said Kolaczkowski wryly. Until they’re established, both brugmansias and daturas are temperamental plants. They still bowl me over.”īut the plants don’t automatically flourish. And as many years as I’ve walked past them, I still am overwhelmed each time I smell the fragrance. “They flower almost nonstop in our coastal climate. “I think it’s a gorgeous sight to see the plant loaded with flowers,” he said. The nursery also sells by mail-order.īut Wade Roberts, director of Sherman Gardens in Corona del Mar, which has a display of five different varieties, disagrees. Stallings specializes in tropical and rare plants and offers 10 different brugmansia varieties, all grown from cuttings at the nursery. “It’s a big, bold plant, but not a pretty one and is best when placed at the back of the garden,” advised Dale Kolaczkowski, manager of Stallings Exotic Nursery in Encinitas. It can be kept smaller by constant pruning, although experts advise pruning when all danger of frost is over so the wood isn’t exposed to cold. Once established, brugmansia is almost indestructible and is a rampant grower that can reach up to 20 feet with a spread of eight to 10 inches.
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