I want one of these so bad I can taste it..(but I know not to :D) Anyway, for the total novice who is perusing all these pages and plant files and web garden sites, I am overwhelmed by all the conflicting information.
Does this plant like alkaline soil? The pH values listed go from mildly alkaine to mildly acidic.
I want to get a white one, or a yellow one, but there are so so many! (I would like one that is highly scented). Can I plant them in the same place that my night blooming jasmine was? (pre Wilma).
Since I am just beginning can anyone give me a hint on which one is the least finicky?
I am in Zone 10b in Florida, I see them everywhere around my neighborhood, I have paid attention to what kind of light they like, where they are planted etcetera. There doesnt seem to be one thing that stands out. Some of them stand alone in the middle of the yard like giant fairy umbrellas from another planet, and some just sprawl in all their lovely languid-ness beneath tall slash pines.
I can see that there are a lot of different opinions, and everyone who loves these has their favorite...but I just want a simple beginning kind of one. Is there such a thing?
:)
Amy
100% total novice
I think I fit right in with this thread!
I got a catalog in the mail that made it easy. Select Seeds. I promptly sent in an order for 3 Brugs, and 2 Dats, as well as the book, "Brugmansia and Datura", by Ulrick and Hans-Georg Preissel. The Brugs are Charles Grimaldi, Frosty Pink, and Jamaica Yellow. The Dats are Ballerina Purple and Ballerina Yellow. These should arrive here in early May.
I think this will be fun. I plan to keep these in large pots, and bring them into the basement for the winter. I will also take cuttings as insurance.
I went to the archives, and found the references there to be somewhat difficult. brugmansia.org just didn't come up, and another group couldn't take my application to join. I, too, am looking for some straightforward info about culture and propagation, especially the rooting of the cuttings. There seem to be many ways to do this.
I have Charles Grimaldi, Frosty Pink, Charles Grimaldi does smell nice .
I would go to a nursey , talk to them .
There is a round-up
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/572877/
in central FL
If you go you will find people in your area to talk to and probably be given a few .
Also check forums for roundups . A round up is where you take extra plants to trade , ID . give away and just meet people in the area with like interests .
versicolor orange is sweetly frgrant even on cloudy days,none will be fragrant during the day(sunlight).I root cuttings in a glass of water,works great.They like neutral to slightly acid soils.Feed weekly in summer and make sure the soil isn't too sandy or you will be forever watering them. :-) Plant out of the prevailing winds in your area, and give as much sun as possible for the most blooms.In pots give them a large pot to keep them stable on breezy days.These will grow at least 6 feet tall in a pot and even taller in the ground.I have had plants get 12 feet in 30 gal pots.
Suaveolens do best in high heat and humidity, versicolors do better in cooler temps.Aureas and its hybrids do better in medium to warm temps.
Kyle
Pic is versicolor pink tree in a friends yard, San Diego.
I am in zone 10, alkaline soil, high winds, no humidity. My brugs are the prettiest from September thru June. They don't bloom as much in July and August(except the suaveolens. Like Kyle said, they don't mind the heat). We are a coastal area and have high winds and some salt. The wind does the most damage to the versicolors. The salt doesn't seem to bother any of them. They do need lots and lots of water during the summer.
To reduce alkalinity I use peat in the planting beds, fertilize with azalea/rhodendron food and add liquid sulphur as needed.
Kyle, that's a pretty tree in your friend's yard. I keep telling my brugs they need to grow up and look like that!
Well, I just got back from the"better" nursery here, (wearing my Daves Garden teeshirt of course) And all there were were these scragily looking yellow leaved plants that were marked "angel trumpet". Thats it. No other information...
*sigh*
Looks like this is going to be a catalog or web purchase...
These horrible looking poor neglected plants were three times as much as some I've seen through links from here!
I'm going to the Fairchild Gardens (fairchildgardens.com) tomorrow with a friend to see the Chihuly glass installed on 83 acres...I'm sure I will see some brugs there, and they will be marked, which is always a plus now a days!
Callalily, Eclipse, Tonyjr, thank you for this input, looks like Ive got some research to do! Got to go search the data base for suaveolens... and 3girls, maybe we can grow together in this adventure!
Hope your order is just wonderful!
P.S. this is a mac computer and I dont know why but I cant make it hyperlink...I'm sorry.
Amy, I have a Mac, too.
Open a second window and move it over so you can see the left side of the "Post a reply to this thread" dialog box. Find the web page you want to hyperlink. Look at the URL. If it contains the words "search.netscape.com", click on the Back button to go back to the search results page. Delete whatever is in the URL dialog box by triple clicking anywhere on it and pressing the Delete key.
Highlight all of the URL address you want, but only the URL given. Some URL addresses are preceeded by a verification symbol. Don't highlight it. If it does get highlighted, don't worry. You can delete it once you get it into the URL dialog box at the top of the page. Don't highlight ( [Preview This Site]) either.
Once you have highlighted the URL, click and hold the highlighted URL while dragging it up to the URL dialog box. Get rid of any words listed before the "http" (The Verification symbol becomes a bunch of words once it's in the dialob box.) Position the cursor at the end of the address and click the Return key. This will take you to the webpage you want.
Bring the "Post a reply..." window to the front. Click and place the cursor at the end of your text and press the Return key 2 or 3 times. This will space the hyperlink several lines below your text once you move it over.
Bring the second window to the front by clicking on it once. Take a look at the URL dialog box. Notice a tilted square box with a green ribbon-like tag? Click, hold and drag that box across and down to the far lower left-hand side of the "Post a reply..." dialog box. Position the square box below the text. If you forgot to move the cursor several spaces below your text, the hyperlink will attact itself to the end of your text. If that happens, place the cursor in front of the "http" and press the Return key twice.
Press the Preview button. The hyperlink will show up in green or blue if all goes well.
Veronica
Just ckick on this
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/572877/
I am running a mac also . This is the forums hyperlink .
http://davesgarden.com/forums/
and this is roundup link for all roundups .
http://davesgarden.com/forums/f/roundup/all/
How long have you been using Mac - before OS X ?