Tropical
Angel's trumpet
Brugmansia x candida · Solanaceae
Also called: Angel's trumpet, Datura tree (incorrectly)
Angel's trumpet (Brugmansia x candida) is a high-water tropical well suited to Tucson and the low desert.
Angel's trumpet at a glance
- Water use
- High (established)
- Sun
- Morning sun with afternoon shade in Tucson; protect from harsh full/reflected sun, which scorches the large soft leaves. Bright filtered light suits it.
- Mature size
- 6-15 ft tall and wide as a large shrub/small tree (often smaller with frost dieback in Tucson)
- Growth rate
- Fast in warm weather
- Bloom
- Large pendant trumpets in white, cream, peach, yellow, or pink, Warm season—late spring through fall, with flushes after pruning; heavily fragrant in the evening
- Cold hardiness
- Frost-tender; foliage and stems damaged below ~32°F and killed back by hard freeze, usually resprouting from roots. Best in a warm, protected microclimate or grown in a container that can be sheltered in winter.
- Soil
- Rich, well-drained, organic soil; amend Tucson's native soil heavily with compost. Excellent in large containers.
- Native range
- Hybrid of South American Andean species (Brugmansia aurea x B. versicolor); now extinct in the wild. Not native to Arizona
- Best used as
- Dramatic fragrant focal specimen, Large container plant, Sheltered courtyard / patio accent
- Wildlife
- Night-fragrant flowers attract hawk moths and other night pollinators.
- Toxicity
- HIGHLY TOXIC. All parts contain tropane alkaloids (scopolamine, atropine, hyoscyamine); ingestion can cause severe poisoning, hallucinations, paralysis, and death. Dangerous to children and pets—site away from areas they access and handle with care.
How to grow Angel's trumpet in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
A thirsty plant—keep soil consistently moist and water frequently in summer heat (often daily for containers); large leaves wilt fast when dry. Reduce in winter.
Fertilizer & nutrients
Heavy feeder for repeat bloom: apply a bloom-promoting (higher phosphorus) fertilizer regularly through the warm season; some growers feed weekly at half strength. Supplement iron in alkaline soil.
Pruning & care
Prune in late winter/early spring to shape and encourage branching; flowers form on new growth above the 'Y' branching point, so prune above that node. Remove frost-damaged wood after the last freeze.
Notes
A spectacular but high-maintenance tropical for Tucson: it needs frequent water, rich soil, afternoon shade, frost protection, and heavy feeding. Most reliable as a sheltered container plant. Note the serious toxicity—not appropriate near children, pets, or edible gardens. Do not confuse with shrubby/annual Datura (which has upward flowers).
Sources: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and University of Arizona Cooperative Extension (Solanaceae toxicity); Arizona Daily Star (tucson.com) tropical-plant garden columns; American Brugmansia & Datura Society culture references