Annie, I agree. Michelle

I agree also.........i didn't chop down any of mine. (:

Just planted two more! They are beautiful plants and do so well here in S. LA

I cut mine down because I recently retired from 27 years in law enforcement and have seen my share of pitiful teenagers biting their arm off or jumping off of roofs because of drinking tea made from Angel Trumpet. I simply don't want it on my conscience.

Live Oak Lady,
I understand what you mean. 2 years ago when I bought my house I found out that the beautiful plant in our backyard was an oleander which is 'very poisonous'. My husband and I freaked out and immediately ripped the plant out of the ground. Now that I've gotten into gardening, I realize that pretty much everything in my garden could be potentially dangerous. Now, instead of removing plants, I teach my girls not to touch them, unless they're herbs, etc, and to never put anything in their mouths. Right now my 2 year old is grabbing everything with flowers on it, so we just don't go into the gardens. (Not to mention the 80 trillion fire ants!)
But, can you imagine if there was a huge news report that kids were drilling holes in Live Oak Trees and drinking the sap to hallucinate and were killing themselves? Do you think people would start chopping down Oak Trees? Heck no!
When I was in school kids would buy cans of Scotch Guard and spray it on their shirts and inhale it to get high. There's no getting around stupidity.
Annie

I tell ya, a beautiful plant is being chopped down when these kids should be home in bed or something. No way would I chop my angle trumpets down, and if I caught my boys doing that I would beat the crap out of them and have there butts in juvy so fast there heads would spin. Parents need to take control of there brats and make them mind, I agree with some of the posts on this subject but I also disagree with others. My 2 cents worth is this, I agree with soundgarden If I catch any teen age brats trying to lift any blooms from my plants to get high Somebody is going to jail after my dog bites them. I think it is just down right mad to cut down a beautiful plant. I just started a few cuttings this year that I was so lucky to get, I had been wanting trumpets for 2 years and I finaly got some, and God forbid they get molested by teenagers. I to say if kids were using some other means of getting high what would the outcome be. You can't stop cows from pooping, and you can't kill all the toads and frogs, I think stronger laws should be put in place for teen violators, and if caught high they should be punished accordingly, What about the huffers, I still see paint on shelves at walmart and dollar stores, and look at how many kids had died from that or even worse brain damaged beyond repair. In Mexico kids almost babies are hooked on shoe glue there reason for doing so, Hunger pangs, Now lets see what else we can distroy in order to keep kids from getting high, Oh yeah lets get rid of gasoline, anybody can buy that, and kids can get high with it so its got to go. No more petro for the automobiles,
Maybe I shouldn't have typed all this but when I read the post I couldn't help myself. I can understand if you do cut down your trumpets its your choice,
So parden me if I keep my trumpets and continue to trade for cuttings, and I hope no hard feelings on my post, God Bless, Lafay

You should be grateful if these idiots are killing themselves. No great loss.

The gene pool could use a little chlorine, or at the very least a lifeguard.

I refuse to give up yet more FREEDOM because people can't exercise INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY. And that goes for a lot of things.

Three brugs, a double purple datura, and four oleanders in my yard,
tami

Another Opinion!

If for just once, people would learn that they are responsible for their own actions, just maybe some of this would stop. Parents must teach their children that whatever they do, they do it, not someone else. Do not be so quick to defend your children when they can not get along with their teachers or with other kids, just maybe your child has a problem! If you defend your child no matter what they do, they will never be wrong and will never be responsible for anything. That includes their own families when they get grown. You will also be responsible for them. Where does it stop? One word will be the beginning "NO"! Help our children, please, make them responsible for their own actions. As adults, learn to admit when we are wrong. Say "I'm Sorry" when you make a mistake. Teach our children responsibilty from our own actions.

I, too, will not cut down my plants. I may one day have to say I'm sorry your child ate my plants and got sick. I will also look you in the eye and ask why did you allow them to do this! Please, just one small word "NO". It's a beginning.

I pray that you start now because I can assure you of one thing that will come to pass, "When our children stand before our God for judgement, no one but the child, will be judged, no one else will be to blame, no one else will be allowed to accept his punishment". So please, make them responsible now!

Yes, I have two wonderful children, ages 23 and 21. Yes, they did wrong many times and yes, they and they alone were punished for these wrongs. And one more yes, one time and only one in both their school years did I take up for them over a teacher. I always took up for the teacher, until the child was deligent enough to change my mind. It was one of those times that I had to look my child in the eyes and say "I'm sorry and I was wrong", and no, it did not kill me. Hurt my pride, but what the hey, I will probably have to do it again before I die since I'm not perfect, no matter what my dear hubby may think!

Love to all and may God bless each and everyone with his loving Grace, Mona L. White a grower of many varities of Angel Trumpets and Daturas

If we spend out time trying to stop foolish people from practing idiotic acts, we will have no time for ourselves. I wouldn't want the idiots that are making tea from brugs making decisions on how I should live, so by all means if they want to get high on brugs, let them do it. And it's not like they could not just take a ride to a local nursery and grow their own? Someone coming on my property to steal blooms from plants and tress will have a bigger problem to deal with than their drug habit, me! Live and let live.

Scott

I have some pretty nasty neighbors here. The kids run like monkeys and I've seen some better behaved monkeys at the zoo. If I should discover that they have helped themselves to my precious baby brugs, I sincerely pray that they crap their insides out and puke for days. I live on PRIVATE property, I have posted NO TRESSPASSING signs, and if they should ignore the fact that I own my property and have yet to ever invite one of them to visit, then let them munch away. If I catch them, then we'll dance to the tune of the juvy version of "Jailhouse Rock". Period.

amen sister! mcrich

I got to thinking about this when there were reports about forcing the railroads to protect crossings better. I'm all for making reasonable safety steps, but idiots who try to beat trains across the tracks (and I guess I'd better confess that I have a time or two when I was young and foolish) are just as likely to drive around the gates or other safety measures. My sister had deer eat her castor beans, and something tells me they're coming back for more. Nobody'd better try cutting my brugs! But nobody tried to smoke my Texas Star hibiscus either. I've heard people say they've had trouble with the police about it.
Nancy

Oh my, I have several cuttings of Brugs in water to root...I am going to plant them all around my place...Am so looking forward to smelling and just eyeing them.....Get rid of them?? NO WAY I have a couple china berries trees in my yard...I haven't researched them but I wonder if they are poisonous?? Well, they are staying....I told my children that this plant is poison and that one ...Man almost all of my plants are in the danger zone....so kiddies just stay away or you gonna pay......oops sorry about this....ready to start a sermon lol Cat

I knew I would learn something brand new on the Louisiana
forum!

Incidentally, I have not seen any chopped down around here.

There are a few nurseries that have stopped selling Angel's Trumpets around here because of a couple of local incidents in which kids brewed tea and got sick.
They just don't want to be liable. I want to ask them, "Are you going to stop selling milkweed? What about oleanders?" Some of their topsellers have some toxins. The list can go on and on.

Amen Sister Mona. I hope other people will read your wise words and see some truth for themselves and their children. You are in my prayers and may God bless you and your family.

Tweet

uhh

I didn't know people drank tea from the plants? What does it do?

I didn't know either! Jeeze, what happened to plain old pot??

I have some growing and my helper picked some flowers to make tea. Ain't seen him in a week Lol.....He told me (over the phone) he had a Severe case of diarrhea and was a bit dizzy...Lol

I certainly wouldn't say that you should cut the plants down but what's with all of this venomous hatred and lack of compassion? Too many kids in this area have no one at home to love or guide them.
I clicked on this thread bacause I wanted to learn more about this plant but I learned a lot more about the gardeners.

No you learned about angry gardeners that have issues with the youth of this day and age. Truth,They will find a way to get high! The world thease days are hard and fast. The people that buy Brugmansia whant to enjoy a little of the tropics in their own back yard.Compassion I have none of that. If you whant to risk your life So Be It! And you didn't just click on the thread. You were motivated to do so . Like you had to sign up with Garden Web.

Know of what you speak,speak of what you know:\\

Compassion is a good thing, I hope you can find some in your heart.

"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion."

I am in my 40's and have done some stupid thing in my younger years, I can almost guess we all have and we will continue to make bad choices. its human nature. We will all make mistakes and we will all make bad decisions from time to time. Once again it human nature. the difference is some of us learn from them and some don't or don't care. the prisons system if filled and will continue to fill with those who willingly make bad choices. I have had people ridicule me for the way I do things but in the end most see its out of respect if they ask why I do things this way I just tell them if I were in there place its how I would want to be treated. I don't expect to be given respect from anyone I want to earn it. I see people from every walk of life in my line of work and they all get my respect and I treat them the way I would want to be treated. Other people I know don't understand why I do this. They ask me sometimes why I am this way and all I can say is that its the I would want to be treated.
One thing I don't under stand is why they call it "common sense" when in a lot of cases it seems to be so "rare"??

Hi, I'm Betty Smith. I'm new to the forum. I know this isn't the popular view, but I have to agree with Live Oak Lady. I've worked as a correctional RN for many years before retiring. They may be stupid kids, but they are still kids. I would hope that if someone caught one of my children doing something stupid, rather than siccing their dog on them or shooting them or whatever, would call the cops and let them handle it.

I have also seen homeowners sued for providing an "attractive nuisance" when the neighbors' kids fell into their cactus. The Mom was standing no more than 25 ft. away, raking leaves in her yard. The homeowner with the cactus spent several hours in court and still was fined and had to pay the ER bills! It's just not worth it to have a beautiful plant!

Since this thread made its debut, the so-called "Government" of Australia has tried to outlaw a whole HOST of plants which people COULD use as intoxicants. I forget the rest of the list, but Buckwheat was on it. They were trying to make Buckwheat illegal, because someone COULD get high (somehow) with it.

Brugs are beautiful. It absolutely made my WEEK, one time, driving through a sad and 'transitioning' part of Terrytown, and coming across a Yellow Angel Trumpet, in full bloom, in December, taller than the walls of the house. It's horrible to think that we should be deprived of such transcendent beauty, just because a few people see fit to abuse the plants.