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Tree thorn-apple

Tom Hulse / Wikimedia Commons - CC BY-SA 3.0

Tree thorn-apple

Brugmansia arborea

Tree thorn-apple (Brugmansia arborea), also known as angel's trumpet, horn of plenty or maikoa (RHS), is an evergreen to semi-evergreen shrub or small tree of the Andes, first described by Linnaeus as Datura arborea. Kew records it as native to Bolivia, northern Chile, Ecuador and Peru, and Wikipedia describes it from drier valleys at 6,562 to 9,843 feet that often see light frost. In gardens RHS gives it an ultimate size of 8.2 to 13.1 feet tall and 4.9 to 8.2 feet wide; in its home valleys it can reach 23 feet. Its strongly fragrant, nodding white to cream trumpets are only 5 to 7 inches long, the shortest in the genus, and each sits in a very long green calyx that reaches almost to the mouth of the flower - the quickest way to tell it from the many other white angel's trumpets sold under its name. It flowers almost continuously in small numbers rather than in big flushes. The load-bearing warning is its toxicity: RHS lists it as TOXIC if eaten, a skin irritant and toxic to pets, and every part of a Brugmansia is potentially poisonous, carrying tropane alkaloids (scopolamine, hyoscyamine, atropine), with the seeds and leaves especially dangerous - never plant it where children or pets could reach it. The IUCN Red List classes it as Extinct in the Wild, yet it is listed as invasive in New Caledonia. Wikipedia calls it the hardiest Brugmansia to both cold and drought, but RHS rates it H1c, wanting a winter minimum of about 41°F, so Plotwright publishes USDA zone 11 only and treats it as a container plant to bring under cover anywhere colder.

Climate fit: narrow (4/100)

Focal point

Structure

Container

Light

Full sun / Part shade

Water

Moderate water

Mature size

8.2-13.1 ft tall · 4.9 ft apart

Hardy in zones

11a-11b

nearly frost-free winters

Native in Illinois

No

TOXIC - do not eat any part.

°C

°F

Cold hardiness

These values are location-based: this location's current hardiness is the baseline, and the 2050 value is a projected future climate for this same location.

Now

Zone 6b

Plotwright

USDA Zone 6b

-5°F to 0°F

Won't grow here

2050

2100

Zone 7a

Plotwright

0°F to 5°F

Won't grow here

In plain terms: This location has cold winters. Its winters are projected to keep warming through 2050.

✕

Out of range today and still out of range in 2050.

Heat tolerance

Heat tolerance values are location-based too: heat days today are observed at this site, and the 2050 value projects this same location under a future climate.

Loading AHS heat-zone data for this location...

What it needs

Conditions

Light

Full sun / Part shade

Water

Moderate water

Spacing

4.9 ft

Habit

Bushy, evergreen to semi-evergreen shrub or small tree, 8.2 to 13.1 feet tall in cultivation and up to 23 feet in its native valleys, with ovate, often coarsely toothed leaves and young shoots covered in fine velvety white down; its nodding white to cream trumpets, only 5 to 7 inches long, sit in a very long green calyx, and every part is TOXIC.

Care tips

•

Treat its toxicity as the first rule: RHS lists it as toxic if eaten, a skin irritant and toxic to pets, so site it well away from children and pets and wear gloves to handle it.

•

Do not stretch its "hardiest Brugmansia" reputation: RHS rates it H1c and wants a winter minimum of about 41°F, so outside USDA zone 11 grow it in a large pot and bring it under cover for winter.

•

Water freely and give a balanced liquid feed every two weeks in summer, then keep it barely moist in winter; it may drop leaves in the cold and regrow them in spring (RHS).

Lifecycle

Planting

Grow it in a large container of peat-free, loam-based compost in full light, or plant it out only in a frost-free, sheltered spot in full sun or part shade with moist but well-drained loam or sand (RHS). RHS wants a winter minimum of about 41°F, so anywhere colder the pot comes under cover for winter. Site it well away from children and pets, because it is toxic.

Transplanting

Move container plants outdoors for the summer once nights stay mild, into sun or dappled shade, and back under cover before temperatures drop toward 41°F (RHS). Wear gloves when handling it, since RHS lists it as a skin irritant.

Early growth

Water freely and give a balanced liquid feed every two weeks while it is in active growth, then keep it barely moist over winter (RHS). It may drop its leaves in a cool winter and regrow them in spring.

Maturity

Reaches its ultimate garden size of about 8.2 to 13.1 feet by 4.9 to 8.2 feet in 5-10 years (RHS), flowering almost continuously in small numbers. Under glass watch for mealybugs, glasshouse whitefly, thrips and red spider mite, and outdoors for slugs and snails; RHS rates it generally disease-free.

Propagation

Sow seed in spring or root semi-ripe cuttings (RHS). Wear gloves and wash your hands afterwards: in Brugmansia the seeds and leaves are the most dangerous parts of the plant.

Plant this, not that

Better fit for this place

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Full sun / Part sun / Part shade

Better fit now and in 2050

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Taxus baccata

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Full sun / Part sun / Part shade

Better fit now and in 2050

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Similar plants

Browse lateral options with similar roles, light needs, size, or native-range overlap; these are not filtered for a better climate fit.

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Full sun / Part shade

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Shrub

Full sun / Part shade

Educator packet

Plant packet

Tree thorn-apple educator packet

Tree thorn-apple (Brugmansia arborea), also known as angel's trumpet, horn of plenty or maikoa (RHS), is an evergreen to semi-evergreen shrub or small tree of the Andes, first described by Linnaeus as Datura arborea. Kew records it as native to Bolivia, northern Chile, Ecuador and Peru, and Wikipedia describes it from drier valleys at 6,562 to 9,843 feet that often see light frost. In gardens RHS gives it an ultimate size of 8.2 to 13.1 feet tall and 4.9 to 8.2 feet wide; in its home valleys it can reach 23 feet. Its strongly fragrant, nodding white to cream trumpets are only 5 to 7 inches long, the shortest in the genus, and each sits in a very long green calyx that reaches almost to the mouth of the flower - the quickest way to tell it from the many other white angel's trumpets sold under its name. It flowers almost continuously in small numbers rather than in big flushes. The load-bearing warning is its toxicity: RHS lists it as TOXIC if eaten, a skin irritant and toxic to pets, and every part of a Brugmansia is potentially poisonous, carrying tropane alkaloids (scopolamine, hyoscyamine, atropine), with the seeds and leaves especially dangerous - never plant it where children or pets could reach it. The IUCN Red List classes it as Extinct in the Wild, yet it is listed as invasive in New Caledonia. Wikipedia calls it the hardiest Brugmansia to both cold and drought, but RHS rates it H1c, wanting a winter minimum of about 41°F, so Plotwright publishes USDA zone 11 only and treats it as a container plant to bring under cover anywhere colder.

Scientific name

Brugmansia arborea

Plant type

shrub

Hardiness

11a-11b

Light

full-sun, part-shade

Moisture

moderate

Spacing

4.9 ft