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Angel’s trumpet
|  Botanical name: Brugmansia arborea
Better known as: Angel’s Trumpet, Tree Datura
Family name: Solanaceae (Nightshade)
Natural habitat: Asia, South-America (Andes regions)
Brugmansia is a genus of plants from the extremely toxic nightshade family (to which our good ol’ potato and tomato belong as well) and is closely related to the smaller Daturaplant (thorn apple), also a descendant from the same detrimental family. Therefore different Brugmansia species used to be classified under the genus Datura (and hence the nickname Tree Datura)
All Brugmansia species grow naturally on altitudes above two thousand meters in Asia and South-America. The seeds and leaves of this plant – which contain the powerful tropane hallucinogenic alkaloids scopolamine, hyoscyamine and atropine – are ingested for probably thousands of years for recreational or shamanistic intoxication, to come in contact with ancestors and to look into the future. Some Indian tribes however, are known to give B. Arborea to their cumbersome and busy children. When nothing else helped, the drink made of grounded leaves and seeds did always calm their offspring down. A sinister use finally: Sometimes enemies were doped with the Brugmansia arborea, whereupon they were buried alive. Many paintings and documents that where found through history speak of all these ancient uses of Brugmansia arborea, the ‘Angel’s Trumpet’. Meanwhile the B. Arborea is better known as an ornamental plant in Europe and North-America than as an entheogen. | 
Brugmansia Arborea is very easy to grow. Plant the seeds outside (just after the last frost of the season) in moist, fertile and loose soil. Water regularly in the summer, but be modest during wintertime. The best spot for the B. Arborea is partly in full sun, partly in the shade. Flowers appear from april/may on (in warmer climates) till early autumn. Sometimes, during a soft winter, de B. Arborea keeps on flowering until December. During a cold winter, the leaves of your Arborea need protection. Do not worry thought about the roots, they are ‘hibernating’ at that time, and will sprout again in spring. Cuttings are easily made by simply cutting off a branch (15-20 cm in length) during summertime.
The Brugmansia’s thank their ‘nickname’ to de trumpet-shaped flowers which can be spectacular in size and color (flowers of the B. Arborea are white or cream white). After a few years a young B. Arborea can grow up to 10 to 12 meters. Imagine what a fantastic sight it will be then when the tree is fully hanged with ‘angels trumpets’!
Note: de B. Arborea is also very popular by bees, birds and butterflies.
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