Are you really Zone 10B? If so, do they even die back? I think they will overwinter if protected from frost. I always just go from seed though for datura and cuttings from brugs. Truthfully, my datura are earlier and more floriferous then my brugmansia - so I'm considering dropping brugs for datura only - especially since I was traded a large luminous white single and a humongous triple purple with large green leaves and black stems.

i forgot to add this was another question for my mom and sister in north carolina. no, brugs are evergreen here. bloom year round.

thanks, cliff

Cliff,
I'm leaving mine outside, planted in the ground, and hoping for the best because I've seen my neighbor's come back every year. I will also take a cutting or two and pot it up indoors to be safe. I used to live in So FL and loved my angel trumpet, so a friend up here gave me a rooted cutting and now it's the size of a small tree! Good luck!
Rosemary

The past several winters have been atypically mild (and dry). If we have a few days of really cold weather (10 degrees or below), the odds are much greater of losing the angel trumpets, lantana and elephant ears that have been over-wintering in the ground for the past few years. If they are dug and kept in an cool dark area, they should go dormant. Tender perennials protected this way have a very high survival rate and will put out new growth and bloom much sooner than those left in the ground. Its a lot of work, but a good investment if you have an appropriate space.

Cliff, did you say that your mom and sister are in or near the mountains? The mountains are much colder in winter than the rest of the carolinas and I wouldn't think angel trumpets would over-winter reliably outside. If so I would think they would do best potted up in the shed and only watered once a month or so. I'm not sure if they can be left bareroot, maybe someone more experienced might be able to say. -Ais.

I overwintered mine in an unheated cellar in central NC last year, and was told by the person I purchased mine from that he overwinters his in similar fashion every year ('course, he wanted to sell me the plant, so not sure if thats really true...). I potted mine, then gradually let it dry out and transferred it to the cellar. It did, I think, reach freezing a few times, but mostly stayed above freezing (but was not warm..). I watered it occasionally, and put mulch on top of the pot, but not around it. Brought it out in Spring, pruned last year's growth just above soil level, repotted it and it came back fine. Yes, last year was a mild winter, so can't guarantee results, but if you could put it some place protected, where it doesn't stay below freezing for long periods, I think it would do fine. Otherwise, take a bunch of cuttings, root them, and keep them in the house over winter. It grows so fast, you will still get blooms each year so long as you feed it heavily (Brugs like to eat!). FYI, I also overwintered several ferns and a hibiscus in similar fashion--all came back slowly, but lived and look great now. Good Luck!

My angel trumpets have been left in the ground in Charlotte for 6 years now without any ill effects.

{{gwi:583048}}

Drainage is the most important thing about overwintering them. But, drainage is also important during the summer if you want large healthy brugs.

The root mass has to reach a certain size to guarantee winter survival.

If you overwinter them in the ground they will be growing from the ground up each year. If you overwinter them in a pot (either dormant in cool dark storage or actively growing in a greenhouse or as a houseplant) you get a nice umbrella shaped tree. The more branches = the more blooms. Either way they look nice.

I overwinter my Angel Trumpets (Brugsmansia) in my unheated sunporch under skylight at they do fine. For some reason they have bloomed profusely the last couple of weeks when its been cool. Mine are really leggy with leaves and blooms only at the top. Can I prune them and if so when and where? Do not want to take off the parts that will produce blooms next summer but they are so top heavy and look ugly.

thanks

Terri

I have some that I overwinter in an unheated garage and they come back every year. I also have two I planted outside that didn't bloom at all the first year the ground but did bloom the second. I believe if left outside it can be hit or miss depending on how cold the winter gets. Although my daughter mulches heavily and hers come back. For me personally the brugs in pots bloom sooner and longer than the ones in the ground.
When I bring in the potted ones I cut them back to about 6 inches and lightly water every few weeks. The part that was cut off can be cut up to make cutting for new brugs.
Check out the brugmansia forum the people over there can help a great deal.

Tammy

grumble,grumble..3564 darn datura seeds..what a mess.
should have bagged the seedpods before they opened but I was out of town.

So I guess, given dats grow so easily from seed I can pull this ugly,beat up plant and toss it now?

I live in New jersey, i bought an angel trumpet in june and it did not bloomed, i put it in the porch (does not have heat) and the last couple of nights it has been in the 20's, we even got some snow flurries and today I saw my Angel trumpet bloom for the first time, i was very happy to see it bloom :)

wow alex!

I had forgot about this thread. As Traianglejohn said, drainage is key. With the clay soil the brugs didn't make for them thru the wet winter that year. :(
I do have my sister growing plumeria Aztec Gold now. lol She overwinters it inside and puts outside in warm months.

If I ever moved back North I don't think I could live with out a greenhouse. lol

Happy New Year !!

Cliff