Angel's Trumpet

Datura metel (dah-TOO-rah MET-el)

Family: Solanaceae Unknown Herbaceous (3-15 ft)

Angel's trumpet is a deciduous, shrub-like, tender, herbaceous perennial, often grown as an annual, in the nightshade family (Solanaceae). It grows 3 to 4 feet tall and wide and is native from Colombia to Texas, where it is often found in sunny locations in disturbed places and river sands. Angel's trumpet tolerates average soil but prefers rich, moist, well-drained soil and full sun to partial shade. It will tolerate alkaline or sandy soil but does not do well in full shade. It is winter hardy to USDA Zone 9 to 10. Most plantings of angel's trumpet are nursery plants; however, it can be started indoors from seeds about 6 to 8 weeks before the last spring frost and set plants out after that date. Plants tend to sprawl and should be spaced about 3 feet apart or staked and supported. Deadheading flowers is not necessary, but self-seeding may occur if the plants are not deadheaded. Seeds can be collected and saved for planting in the following spring. Container plants can be cut back and overwintered indoors in a sunny window. The large flowers are shaped like trumpets (hence the common name), are slow to develop and bloom, and have an exotic fragrance; however, the bruised leaves also give off an odor that some consider unpleasant. Each flower unravels in the evening from an unusual cigar-shaped flower bud and fades by noon the following day. All parts of the plant are highly toxic if consumed. Species of Datura are sometimes confused with those of Brugmansia (also called angel's trumpet), but Datura flowers face upward, whereas Brugmansia flowers are pendulous. Angel’s trumpet is perfect for a nighttime garden. It grows well in a container on a patio or planted as a specimen or border in a bed. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: Watch for whiteflies, mealy bugs, and spider mites.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 63 attributes.