Product Description

Stately Angel's Trumpets -- Brugmansia -- are spectacular plants, growing like small trees and living for several years. Datura, sometimes called Thorn Apples, are mostly annuals and are cultivated like summer flowers. The impressive bell flowers of both varieties -- in white, yellow, pink and red -- are extraordinarily decorative. It's no surprise that Brugmansia and Datura are prized by enthusiasts around the world.

This comprehensive guide for North American gardeners features:

• history and folklore of Brugmansia and Datura
• the latest information on how to distinguish and classify Brugmansia and Datura
• form and shape of the flowers and plants -
• covering all aspects of species, hybrids and varities
• hybrid Angel's Trumpets and wild species of Thorn Apples
• building a Brugmansia collection
• care and cultivation
• over-wintering, propagation and breeding
• diseases and pests
• index, bibliography and nursery sources
• over 110 beautiful color photographs and numerous illustrations.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #182902 in Books
• Published on: 2002-03-02
• Original language: German
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 144 pages

From Booklist
Unfamiliar and unorthodox, brugmansias and daturas are the floral opposites of the quaintly reassuring lilacs and pinks. Hothouse curiosities, angel's trumpets and thorn apples, respectively, were used by native cultures for their hallucinogenic and healing properties, anticipating modern medicine's use as antispasmodics. Under the expert tutelage of husband-and-wife authors Preissel, adventurous gardeners receive guidance on cultivating these alluring bell-shaped beauties for horticultural uses in sunrooms or outdoor containers. Carol Haggas
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

John Bagnasco, Garden Compass, June 14, 2002
The book is a welcome guide to growers and collectors of angel's trumpets.

Review
Readable, profusely illustrated ... an excellent guide. (Robert Howard Hamilton Spectator 20021212)

Clarifies the distinguishing characteristics ... and shares the rich cultural and historic origins of these often confused plants. (Kristin G. Pategas Ornamental Outlook 200302)

The book is a welcome guide to growers and collectors of angel's trumpets. (John Bagnasco Garden Compass 20020620)

100-color photos and textbook style information make this a book for both the hobby gardener and serious horticulturist. (Marianne Binietti Seattle Post-Intelligencer 20020615)

Packed into 144 pages are 110 photos and information about mythical perspectives and the realities of growing the plants. (Fresno Bee 200306)

Clearly written for both professionals and amateurs, will become a standard in the literature on these plants. (Adele Kleine Current Books on Gardening and Botany [Chicago Bot )

Customer Reviews

Lovely Photos, But Datura Information Biased
People rave here about this gorgeous book. The work of Richard Evans Shultes is far more professional and accurate, but this is an attractive read, with lovely photos, and the information on cultivating Brugmansia is superior.

But the arguments of the authors that D. meteloides is really D. inoxia, and that D. metel is really a different, deep purple variety, reveals their lack of real botanical experience with these plants out in the wild. A clue: the authors wrongly describe how the seed pods of meteloides open. In the wild, Datura is incredibly adaptive. In fact, one plant growing at an ancient pueblo site can demonstrate several traits (seemingly of different classifications) and vary in seed pod appearance. They also can last for many years, blooming all year around, even inside, under the right conditions. The authors at no point say that the only plant with more genetic complexity than Datura is corn. It is not true that D. wrightii, or D. meteloides (which they wrongly state is innoxia), only originated in the New World. These Datura have been widely cultivated throughout Africa. The deep purple "metel" is just another mutation. Adaptation and mutation of this species make the arguments of the Preissels specious.

Brugmansia andDatura
Your book is great but I am not very happy with the seed. I only have 4 of the golden (10 seeds), 1 of the black (10 seeds), 0 of the pink (10 seeds), and only one of the red burgmansia (out of 20 seeds).
I do not know that I would reorder seeds again.

Good book, but it lacked care help
This book gave me all the descriptive information I could want. There was not enough information regarding the care of Brugmansia's, like soil type preferred, feeding results, placement in garden. I can only grow one or two types due to my location and zone, so I would be more interested in how to care for the plants than in the different kinds. The book has beautiful pictures and I really enjoyed reading about all the different hybrids. I was hoping for more care and growing tips.