We’ve got Brugmansia on the brain.  If you want showy flowers in your garden that seem to bloom forever, you gotta find yourself a Brugmansia.

This yellow-flowering guy is called Brugmansia “Charles Grimaldi.”  They have fragrant, flowering bells that are as big as your head.  Well. at least the size of grapefruits.

Hey, quick note on these Brugmansias: Parts of the plant can be harmful or cause death if ingested.  Genetically, they fall in the nightshade family. By the way, your tomato plants are in the nightshade family, too. Basically, you shouldn’t put something in your mouth if you don’t know what it is. Yeah, gardening can be an extreme sport, huh?

As you can see, they come in a variety of colors. Here’s the skinny on Brugmansias. Sometimes called Angel Trumpets, they’re native to Central and South America, and grow as a big shrub or a small, multi-trunked tree. Even though many species can get big — 8-16 feet tall is not uncommon — they can easily handle a lot of pruning to maintain their size. Pruning also will encourage new growth where you make the cuts. Here along Ocean Beach, in our well-draining soil, they’ll grow in part shade to full sun and will need little water once established.

But of all the cultivars and all the color these guys come in, we probably love the Brugmansia sanguineas most. The cultivar above is called “Pasachoa.” Not digging all these big flowers? Well, there’s a close cousin that may do the trick for you: Iochroma cyaneum. The flowers are similar in shape, but they’re much smaller and usually come in clumps.

Downside on Brugs: They can be a little weedy, aka once you plant them in the ground. They can be hard to get rid of it. You may want to consider putting them in a container instead of planting directly into the ground. Well, we need to head back to the garden. See ya in two weeks.  Megan and Matti ~ Far Out Flora