Angel Trumpet - Ecuador Pink

Description:

Brugmansia is a genus of seven species of flowering plants in the family Solanaceae. (I believe the tree I saw to be an Ecuador Pink - Brugmansia Versicolor.) They are woody trees or shrubs, with pendulous flowers, and have no spines on their fruit. Their large angel gown/trumpet shaped, fragrant flowers give them their common name of angel's trumpets. They normally grow from 6-10 feet tall, but the Versicolor species can reach up to 15 feet in height. The farther south it's habitat, the taller it will grow. And they will bloom on and off all year, more in warmer weather. Brugmansia has lily-like blossoms that can be up to 12 inches in length in shades of pink, peach, yellow and white. It is amongst the most toxic of ornamental plants, containing tropane alkaloids. All seven species are known only in cultivation or as escapes from cultivation, and no wild plants have ever been confirmed. They are therefore listed as Extinct in the Wild by the IUCN Red List. They still exist wild outside their native range as introduced species. It is suspected that their extinction in the wild is due to the extinction of an animal which previously dispersed the seeds, however, human cultivation has ensured the genus's continued survival. Brugmansia have two main stages to their life cycle. In the initial vegetative stage the young seedling grows straight up on usually a single stalk, until it reaches its first main fork at 80–150 cm (2.6–4.9 ft) high. It will not flower until after it has reached this fork, and then only on new growth above the fork. Cuttings taken from the lower vegetative region must also grow to a similar height before flowering, but cuttings from the upper flowering region will often flower at a very low height.

Habitat:

Brugmansia are native to tropical regions of South America, along the Andes from Venezuela to northern Chile, and also in south-eastern Brazil. They are grown as ornamental container plants worldwide, and have become naturalized in isolated tropical areas around the globe, including within North America, Africa, Australia, and Asia. Growing best in frost free climates. It’s fully hardy in USDA Zones 9 and 10. In USDA Zone 8 it often dies to the ground in winter and comes back the next year.

Notes:

All parts of Brugmansia are poisonous, with the seeds and leaves being especially dangerous. Effects of ingestion can include paralysis of smooth muscles, confusion, tachycardia, dry mouth, constipation, tremors, migraine headaches, poor coordination, delusions, visual and auditory hallucinations, mydriasis, rapid onset cycloplegia, and death. The hallucinogenic effects of Brugmansia have been described in the journal Pathology as "terrifying rather than pleasurable". References https://www.south-florida-plant-guide.co... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brugmansia... https://www.gardenia.net/plant/Brugmansi... https://www.southernliving.com/garden/tr...