How to Grow Inca Angel Trumpets
Inca angel trumpet, also known as Brugmansia Inca Sun or angel's trumpet, is a long-lived woody shrub that is prized for its fragrant, pendulous flowers which can grow up to 12 inches. Native to South America, Inca angel trumpet shrubs grow best in USDA plant hardiness zones 9b through 11. Gardeners outside of these hardiness zones can grow Inca angel trumpet in containers and move them indoors during the cold winter months. Inca angel trumpet makes a beautiful and exotic addition to warm climate gardens and home landscapes. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Inca angel trumpet shrub
- Humus
- Peat moss
- Coarse builder's sand
- Shovel
- Spade
- Garden fork or tiller
- Hand rake
- Garden hose
Instructions
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Select an appropriate planting location in your garden or home landscape based on Inca angel trumpet's sunlight and soil requirements. Choose a full-sun planting location that receives a six to eight hours of direct sunlight each day to ensure that your shrub will have access to the amount of sunlight it needs to bloom prolifically. Look for a planting location that also offers well-draining soil.
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Spread a 4-inch layer of equal parts humus, peat moss and coarse builder's sand over the surface of soil. Use a shovel, spade, garden fork or tiller to work the amendments into the soil to a depth of 12 to 15 inches.
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3
Dig a planting hole for your Inca angel trumpet shrub that is twice as wide and twice as deep as its root system. Add displaced, amended soil to the bottom of the planting hole so that the shrub will be planted at the same level it was planted in its nursery container. Scrape the sides of the planting hole with a small hand rake to make it easier for the roots of your shrub to penetrate the soil around them.
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Fill the planting hole with water from a garden hose and wait for the moisture to sink deep into the soil.
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Center your Inca angel trumpet shrub in the planting hole and backfill the hole using the displaced, amended soil. Tamp down the surface of the soil to secure your shrub in its new location.
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Water your Inca angel trumpet shrub immediately after planting to moisten and settle the soil. Add additional soil to the top of the planting hole if too much of the soil settles after watering. Water your shrub daily until it is established, usually about three weeks. Continue to water your Inca angel trumpet shrub as often as required to keep the soil consistently moist, but not wet.
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Prune your Inca angel trumpet shrub, as needed, to remove diseased, damaged, dead or crossing branches. Pluck spent Inca angel trumpet blossoms, as needed, to keep your plant looking healthy and attractive; this process also encourages your shrubs to produce additional blossoms.
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Tips & Warnings
Inca trumpet shrubs are very thirsty plants. Maintaining a 3-inch layer of mulch in a 3- to 5-foot diameter around your shrub can help it conserve moisture, as well as retard weed growth. Make sure to keep the mulch at least 4 inches away from the base of your Inca trumpet shrub to discourage increased insect activity.
All parts of Inca angel trumpets are toxic if consumed in large quantities. Symptoms of Inca angel trumpet poisoning include hallucinations, paralysis, dry mouth, fever, racing pulse and muscle weakness.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Corps de brugmansia 2 image by sylbohec from Fotolia.com
