Brugmansia Bud question .....

I am hoping someone here can help me!

I purchased seeds last summer from a reputable ebay seller. As is typical with Brug seeds, many do not germinate. But I did get a couple to germinate from each cross I purchased. Every single plant now growing looks different. Different leaves, different growth habits, etc. I am waiting patiently for blooms on all of them. One in particular has unusual buds forming. I have never seen or even heard about Brugmansia blooms growing upward. Don't they usually hang down? Or are there some cultivars that do have buds/blooms that point upwards? Can someone clue me in? It does not look like a Datura nor did I have any seeds that looked like datura seeds.

Here is a current photo of the entire plant:

The parents of this seedling are supposed to be Double Dark Rosetta x New Orleans Lady. I know what Brugmansia seeds and Datura seeds look like and they do not look similar to me. I did NOT see any Datura seeds in the purchased seeds. And it does not look like a Datura plant to me. But the upward buds do remind me of the bloom habit of Datura.

Can someone clue me in here? Is there such a thing as an upward facing bloom on a brugmansia? Thanks! Here you can see the upward pointing buds:

What you have is probably an Aurea X both Double Dark Rosetta and New Orleans Lady have Aurea in their background. Aurea blooms arch outward at an angle instead of hanging down.

Becky I just had a seedling bloom for first time buds stood up just like yours when it got big enough it dropped and it flowered but pendant hope yours hold

Connie - Thanks for that info. I hope you are correct.

Dana - That is really interesting that some of yours had buds that also stood up. I've never seen that in any of my Brugs until this plant.

Upon closer examination, I have been thinking it is actually Datura inoxia. The reason I think that is because of the leaves. The leaves are much thicker than any of the Brug leaves I have. It also does not like to be watered as much as my other Brugs. How a Datura seed might have gotten into my mix is unknown. I hand peeled all the seeds before I planted them and they were definitely Brug seeds. I germinated them inside as well. With bagged potting soil that I have used for years and never had anything growing in it other than what I planted. I also know it is very rare for a Brug and Datura blooms to cross. It will be interesting to see what the blooms look like. I will post a photo when it does bloom.

This message was edited May 21, 2014 10:00 PM

Perhaps as Connie suggested, one blooming bud is showing a little horizontal display, though the others are not. I should have blooms within the next day or so. I still can't get over the leaves. Totally different than any of the brugs I've ever grown. I don't water it nearly as much as I do all my other Brugs. It will be interesting to see what the blooms look like!

First photo shows one bud almost in bloom now showing a more horizontal position. Second photo shows two more buds.:


This message was edited May 24, 2014 8:02 AM

It bloomed tonight and it is definitely a Brug. Not sure yet what the color will be, but I doubt it will stay white as in the photo.

In the second photo below, you can see 2 more buds which are pointing straight up that are getting ready to bloom soon, too. The leaf texture is thick, almost like a leathery texture. The foliage is very different than what I was expecting. It also does not require nearly as much water as all my other brugs. You can see where the leaf edges turned yellow from too much watering. Since both parents often produce double blooms, it will be interesting to see if any doubles are produced on this plant. The thing that I particularly like about this plant is the blooms have a very soft, almost baby powder scent to it. Not an obnoxiously strong scent like some of my other brugs. Very, very nice! I am pleased with this new seedling!

The blooms turned pink!

That is a beautiful bloom! It was fun watching the development of this plant. Can't wait to see if you get any doubles!

I, too, enjoyed your posts and the photos of the plant and buds as they progressed! How beautiful! How long did it take from seed to first bloom?

Linda Kay and valal - Thank you!

I did get several that turned out to be doubles (maybe even triples), but could not get a really decent photo yet of those blooms. Weather has been very hot this summer, so fewer blooms.

From seed to first bloom here in warm Florida, it was probably about 8-9 months. It was interesting to see that some plants were shorter plants and one was about 10' tall. These are all about a year old from seed and I am growing them as trees (not bushes). Two of the double bloomers have white flowers and the plants look overall to be siblings. And 2 other double-bloomers are pink flowers. The rest are pink single blooms that are medium in size though the trees are quite different in overall size. It's always interesting to see what genetics pop up in seedlings. And all have a fragrance that is wonderful. When they are all in bloom, it is pretty overwhelming to be outside at night to smell all the perfume.

Wow! In Florida, do you have to take them in in the winter? My mother lived in Daytona for a while, and they had some 30 degree days/overnights in the winter there. Am not familiar with where Sebastian is.

ENJOY... you certainly deserve all those gorgeous blossoms and wonderful fragrance. I am jealous, but going to try my hand at growing 1-2 from cuttings!