Brugmansia arborea... Angel Trumpet

I came across these fantastic trumpet flowers in Balboa Park. It must be near the end of it’s blooming season because the blossoms are mostly tattered and shriveled. Hanging like exotic oriental temple bells from the branches of a large shrub at the southwest entrance to the Botanic House, the flowers are the color of cream. At the southeast entrance to the same building another shrub produces a flower which looks as if it is giving birth. I couldn’t resist getting my picture of the day there.

The marker identifying these plants says the single blossom is brugmansia arborea; the other is brugmansia candida. Both plants come from South America. I wasn’t surprised to learn that the plants are related to daturas, the genus to which jimsin weed belongs. Jimsin weed trumpet blossom is the flower that Georgia O’Keeffe loved to paint.

I learned that all brugmansia plants contain high levels of a poison which may be fatal if ingested... so don’t go munching the flowers.