Recently, I had the opportunity to visit a famous school here in Mysore. They maintain a wonderful garden and has many species of plants and trees. I was surprised to see a 7 foot tall (and spread about 4 feet) Brugmansia (white)- but they had labeled as 'a variety of datura'. The stem looked pretty old and mature. That made me wonder about the life span of this variety. I'm growing a couple of them in my garden (DG-trade). Now when I saw the size of that plant, the location where my are growing now looks totally wrong! Are there stipulated life span for certain varieties?
Life span of a brug
Nope, There is no real life span, If they have at least one node on the plant, they will sprout out, and grow, a 7 foot plant could be as little as 2-3 months old from a cutting. At least for me.
John
Dinu, I don't know how long a tree will last once planted, but I do know that Monika has some that are over 12 years old now and growing in containers. The botanical center in our capitol city has one that is huge and it has been there for a very long time too. If you ever think you might lose your own trees for any reason, take a cutting. If you don't, and your tree dies, it is gone forever since you started yours from seeds. I wish I could put mine ALL in half day shade. I think that would be the best scenario. Good luck with your trees.
My oldest tree was twenty years old when I cut him down with the saw. The wood became to heavy for me to carry into the winterhouse.
This brug is about 25 or 27 years old and it is said a brugtree can become 40 and more years old.
Amazing! I see Ludger's big tree is in a container. What about its root system? Is that container enough for them? Mine are in the ground and I have to see some method in the coming summer months to protect it from the sun (it gets about 4-5 hours of mid-day sun, what with looming scarcity of water. I will mulch them as much as I can. Another thing: I never knew Brugs can grow from cuttings. Out of the four plants, only one is doing quite well and grown taller and this is the one that gave 3 big flowers, but no seed.
Dinu, you have to have more than one kind to produce seed pods and chances are good that you will have to be the one that does the pollinating. Blooms from one plant will not cross. Nest: To get lots of blooms, you may need to fertilize more. I fertilize at least twice a week up until it gets so hot outside that it is too uncomfortable to be in the heat long. Then I switch to just water but still fertilize a little during the rest of the summer. Last year was unbearable. Anyway, on to cuttings. Very easy. Stick a piece of a branch that is as big around as your thumb into potting soil or wet sand and stand back. When it is warm outside here, they root the best. If you have more questions. Just put them on this forum. Someone will help you right away.
Dinu, Shirley is right: Brugs are not selfertile ( except B.arborea)you need two geneticly strange brugs for a pollination.NOT!! two cuttings from one brug, they are geneticly identic.
You also can root cuttings in water.
Brugs do very well in large containers:-)the rootsystem will be ok for many years.Sometimes you must repot,cut back the roots and use new soil. Cutting back the roots means: >Cutting back the branches,too.
I want to say: Greetings to India, my brother in law is from Calcutta:-)
Thanks for the info. One more question: how pollination is to be done? My plants have only leaves presently. Will try cuttings too when the time comes.
Thank you Ludger, nice to know your BIL is from Calcutta (now the new spelling is used: Kolkata). Is he a Bengali or what? I visited there last year to play cricket. It is two days by rail from my place.
Gee Monika, it must have broken your heart to cut that old tree down. What kind was it? Was it producing flowers as much as when it was younger?
Dinu, pollination is fun and easy! And wait till you get your first pod, you will be so excited. Here is a fast and easy reference that will show you how.
http://calastropicals.com/content/page3.html
Thanks Kell. That beautiful link enlightened me. After collecting pollen, should they be transferred to the stigma immediately or is it necessary to freeze it in a container?
Kell,my heart was bleeding, when I had to cut it down. But the roots were almost as thick as the stem above and were pushing out of the container.It still flowered very well.
It was USA Rosa, You can see a picture of the tree is in my book.
GASP!!! Ludger, the size of that Brug is amazing!