Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Fourth Time's A Charm

I have been trying to grow a Brugmansia sanguinea seemingly for ever. My first attempt was probably 7 years ago from Thompson & Morgan seed. The seed grew great but it turn out to be the white Brugmansia candida. After complaining I received replacement seed which then also grew out to be the white version. I then lost interest. Last year I decided to try again and order some seed from ebay. Of the 5 seeds only one sprouted and it then abruptly damped off. Clearly I like punishment so I order seed again this year from druid_moons on ebay.

Again I receive 5 seeds but this time they have done really well. I ended up with three viable seeds and now have two healthy seedlings growing. The third one I accidentally cooked to death by placing it to close to the metal halide bulb. In the next few weeks it will be apparent if the seed is true. Brugmansia sanguinea have toothed fuzzy leaves so identifications will be pretty easy now that I know what to look for.

Above is a photo of the flower that I borrowed from google image. It is quite a striking plant. I hope this will be the year it grows true and I will be extactic if I end up with two healthy plants.

20 comments:

  1. ps. I put your celeriac seeds in the mail today. You should probably plant them as soon as you get them. I'll be planting these soon too. I hope the germination is good.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow! Those are so beautiful! I will keep my fingers crossed for you that they grow on and give you the color and blooms you are seeking.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow that is a really striking flower! Hope it turns out to be true. All my pink and white cornflowers turned out to be blue, but the black one looks like it will definitely be black! Luck with all the seed sowing

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love brugs. Just be careful not to touch them and touch your eyes. I have a lot of respect and fear of solanaceous plants and castor beans in my garden.

    ReplyDelete
  5. What a beautiful and strange looking flower. It looks like it would grow in the tropics not Canada. I hope this time it works.

    ReplyDelete
  6. We used to have that plant in our garden back in New Zealand when I was growing up as a kid! Never knew it's botanical name ... loved the plant! Good luck on growing it!!

    Last year I tried my hand at growing a Castor Bean plant - started the seedling late, but it actually grew (second attempt)! This year I'm hoping to get started sooner. I'm told that the castor bean (yes, beans are posionous) helps prevent a number of insects from coming to the vege garden ... so I'm going to see! I know that the Castor Bean doesn't like been transplanted, does this one?

    ReplyDelete
  7. They are so exotic aren't they? Hope this time it's the right one for you!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh my gosh, I've been lusting after that plant for a few years myself. I found it at the Strybing Arboretum plant sale a few years ago, but when I got home I found I had picked up the wrong pot. Last year I got seeds from Baker Creek and got two plants to survive. They are still a long way from blooming. Good luck, hope the 4th time is a charm for you!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Dan - what an unusual plant. I assume its an annual for your climate.
    Where will you plant it?

    ReplyDelete
  10. Kathy - I will keep an eye out for those seeds!

    KitsapFG - It better be the right one this year! :-)

    Prue - The plant world seems to be good at mixing things up. I have had many things not grow to what it should have been. Pretty annoying after putting all the work in.

    Red - The red one is the last I have not grown. In the past I have had the white & yellow. Currently I have a peach one that is four years old. I put them in the basement and let them go dormant till spring, works like a charm.

    Daphne - I think it is subtropical and definitely not hardy here. I will overwinter it in the basement, they just go dormant until spring.

    Kiwi - I have not had any problems transplanting the Brug's.

    Veg Heaven - Definitely an exotic plants, I hope it blooms this year. I started it so soon hoping to get it to bloom.

    Michelle - You should be about to grow it in tree form there in California. I am hoping for blooms this year, I heard once they form a Y they will bloom.

    Marcia - These will be pot grown this year and probably planted in the soil next year. Before frost I lift them and let them go dormant in the basement until spring. They have a potato like root system that keeps them alive well dormant.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I really like this variety. It's too bad you lost one. The seedlings look kind of like large tomatoes!

    I planted five seeds a few days ago (the yellow variety). 4/5 look viable so I'm hoping for about 3 seedlings. I'm excited and extremely impatient! How long did yours take to sprout?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh lovely Dan ! Brugmansia is such an awesome plant. I don't have the patience to look after such exotic beauties. I'll revel in looking at yours, though, even if we are a few years away yet. Good luck with your lovely seedlings !

    ReplyDelete
  13. Aerelonian - I soaked the seed for 24hrs, peeled the corky husk off and then planted the seed. They germinated in a little over a week on top of the ballast box for the metal halide light. The box is really hot. I have had them take 3 weeks in the past if it was on the cold side. I have been thinking of trying a few of the double purple datura after seeing them on your blog...

    Miss M - I hope I can get it to bloom this year. I saw a bunch of blooming Brug. sanguinea plants for sale at Sheraton Nursery a few years ago. I wish I bought one but they were like $50 each, seemed kind of pricey.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I thought the saying was Threes a Charm! lol... Good luck with the seedlings. Tina passed along an Angel Trumpet plant to me last fall. It sits in the guest bedroom behind closed doors to the nibbling cats. I am so anxious to get her into the ground. I so hope she survives for me this year...

    ReplyDelete
  15. Dan,
    This is a valuable lesson to lear. These flowers are just beautiful! I can see why you would like to grow them!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Those are gorgeous! I pray those plants work for you this time around.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I love these too" My Mother and I bought a couple last summer and tried to winter them over inside of the house but they politely died anyway!

    However this will not prevent or discourage us from trying to grow them were going to buy some this summer.

    Hope you are successful this time I'll be watching for it..Good luck"

    ReplyDelete
  18. Good luck with the seeds! I have seen full grown trees of the red brugmansia at the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden. Definitely worth a visit if you're ever in the Bay Area.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi, I'm happy to see that you have been successful germinating the seeds you bought from me. Mine have also come up and I'm pretty excited to see the results. Please let me know if there is any problems!
    Kat druid_moons

    ReplyDelete