I have an Brugmansia and have lost the id tag. I'm beginning to think it is a Datura, except I don't usually buy Datura's. This one has very thick stems that go hither and yon, fuzzy, gray leaves, seems to like partials shade, hasn't flowered yet. So I'm clueless. Leaves are 7-10 inches, with an irregular edge which may be called a soft serration. The veins are a soft yellow and quite raised on the bottom side. The old growth appears as if woody while the new growth is a soft yellow. Height of plant so far without taming, tying, pruning or torturing in anyway is around 4-5 feet and as wide as tall. The form is anything but elegant and I may have to prune to get it to flower and to look more attractive. No photos. Any comments welcomed.
Gratefully
Nancy
Brugmansias ID
it sounds a bit more like a brug to me.. large leaves and stature ...woodier old wood
I'm not sure about Daturas, but Brugmansias have to go through a vegetative growth stage before they start to produce flowering growth. If you prune it, you're forcing it to produce more shoots, but they will have to start the vegetative growth over again. You will set the plant back in terms of blooming not forcing it to bloom.
It would be easier if you could provide a photo. Take a look through this link on Daturas. See if any resemble your bush. You might have a look at the base of your plant. Is there any growth coming up from the ground? If there is does that growth "Y" soon after emerging? Daturas tend to produce "Y"s very early while Brugmansias grow from a few feet to more than 8' before forming a "Y" when growth comes up from the ground.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/search.php?q=Datura&Search=Search+PlantFiles
Also compare leaves to those of Brugmansia:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/finder/index.php?sname=Brugmansias