animaux wrote:

On Wed, 06 Aug 2003 17:10:59 GMT, DigitalVinyl wrote:

Anyone growing these (Brugmansia, formerly was datura
meterloides--spelled from memory)

I grow Brugmansia candida, suavolens, versicolor. There is no Brugmansia
meteloides, that would be Datura meteloides.
I've read that Datura was reclassified as Brugmansia but information
is confusing. It looks like Datura meteloides didn't get changed. My
seed packet said d.m. The Sunset book says D.meteloides have upward
facing flowers and Brugmansia hang downward. I don't know how true
that is... mine start straight up but when blossomed hang downward
facing.

Good to know that plant is surviving me.

Datura and Brugmansia are heavy feeders if you want them to bloom a lot. Datura
are not AS heavy a feeder as Brugmansia, but you can use Osmocote prills to give
the soil fertilizer each time you water. I only recommend synthetic fertilizers
in container plants. All my Brugmansia are in huge tubs. All datura are in the
ground. They do much better in the ground.

I am hoping to overwinter this plant indoors this year (it is Zone
9-10 I believe) and repot in a tub for next years growth.

Why?
Well they are hardy to Zone 9-10 and I'm a Zone 6b/7. I'd like to try
and grow this larger. I know most treat it as an annual except in a
few nurseries which sell them as 7 foot trees.


Datura is in the solanacea (nightshade)) family. Tobacco horn worms, tomato
horn worms love this and like it or not, is a host plant for one of the largest
moths on the planet, the sphynx moth, or hawk moth. They are also pollinator
insects and very valuable to have. I let the plants be devoured and in a few
weeks time they are recovered with new foliage.

If you live in the south, you have no need to bring datura inside. They are
root hardy for me in Texas USDA Zone 8b. So are brugmansia root hardy. I like
my brugmansia to get tall, so in 30 gallon tubs, in the greenhouse they go
every winter. They do bloom all winter in the greenhouse and it smells like a
perfumery in there!

You may get a lot out of www.nativehabitat.com

There is a lot of information there.
Thanks
DiGiTAL ViNYL (no email)
Zone 6b/7, Westchester Co, NY, 1 mile off L.I.Sound
1st Year Gardener