How to Grow Angel's Trumpets

You can grow angel's trumpet, also called datura, for its balsamic scent and showy flowers that dangle from thin stems and flare out dramatically. The bush bears inedible fruits covered with spines, giving it the nickname "thorn apple." Angel's trumpet is a member of the nightshade family, which includes tomatoes and eggplants, so if you can grow these common garden plants, you can grow this exotic beauty.

Things You'll Need

• Light potting mix
• Water-soluble plant food
• Yellow sticky traps

Instructions

1. Start with transplants since angel's trumpets are tricky seeds to germinate. Some take as long as a year to sprout. You can choose from white, pink or yellow flowers in single or double formations.

2. Choose a large pot for your angel's trumpet. Use a light potting mix that drains quickly to emulate the lean soils of the angel's trumpet's habitat. If you live in a tropical region and plan to plant your angel's trumpet in the ground, plant it in a site that never has standing water.

3. Provide angel's trumpet with warm days and cool nights as well as full sun for best performance. Native to mountainous areas of South America, it prefers daytime temperatures in the 80's and nighttime temperatures in the 40's.

4. Fertilize your angel's trumpet with a half-strength feeding of water soluble plant food each time you water. A steady stream of nutrients promotes constant blooms.

5. Bring your angel's trumpet indoors over winter if you live in zones 1 to 8. Bring the plant indoors and place in a south- or east-facing window before nighttime temperatures drop below 40 degrees F. You can grow the plant as a tender perennial in zones 9 and 10.

6. Watch for whiteflies, the most common pest to infect angel's trumpet. Use yellow sticky traps to control whitefly infestations.

Tips & Warnings

• Angel's trumpets are toxic to people and pets. Wear gloves when working with angel's trumpets, as any sap that is transferred to the eyes causes dilated pupils.