Red Angel’s Trumpet

Well known in South America for its medicinal virtues, it is sometimes ritually brewed with trichocereous pachanoi. In Ecuador, it is being cultivated for scopolamine. The flowers are 8 to 10 inches long with brilliant orange/red at the mouth and yellow veins fading to yellow at the base. Very beautiful tropical perennial. Hardy to zones 9-12.

Red angel’s trumpet is a dramatic and uncommon member of the Brugmansia genus, distinguished by its long, pendulous flowers in deep red and coral tones. Unlike the white and yellow angel’s trumpets, this species is unscented, shaped by hummingbird pollination and high-elevation origins rather than night fragrance.

Native to the Andes of South America, Brugmansia sanguinea evolved in the cooler mountain regions of Colombia, Ecuador, and northern Peru. Like all Brugmansia, it is now extinct in the wild and survives only in cultivation, carried forward through careful propagation.

This species has a long history of ceremonial use in its native range. All parts of the plant are highly toxic, and it is offered here as an ornamental and botanical specimen only.

In cultivation, red angel’s trumpet forms a woody shrub or small tree, flowering on mature branching growth. It prefers rich, well-drained soil, regular water during the growing season, and full sun to light shade. While more tolerant of cool nights than many Brugmansia, it is not frost hardy. It can also be grown in containers and overwintered with protection in colder climates.

A striking plant, grown for its beauty, history, and presence. A favorite “pet” in my greenhouse!