Brugmansia a/k/a \"Shredded White\"...please help!

I have a Shredded White Tree, which I believe in Roadrunner/Wile E Coyote-speak translates into Brugmansia X Candida. When I purchased it @1 year ago, the tree was lush with leaves and blooms; as I'd been instructed, I planted it in partial shade here on a barrier island off the Gulf Coast of Florida (Zone 10a). The tree had been doing really well through the winter, though sadly, it’s now a shadow of what it once looked like. There are very few leaves now and the branches look shriveled up and whispy. It is very hot and humid during these summer months, though it does rain on average twice a week. The very little info I find online with regard to these trees indicates that fertilizer is not necessary, so would its poor health in fact be due to a lack of water? The blooms are (were) beautiful and I hope that I can revive it! Kindly see the photos attached; any words of advice you may have would be great! Thank you.

Most brugs I've seen and grown are in lots of sun and yes, very thirsty. I would get some cuttings from this plant so you have some insurance against death of your sole plant - they are very easy to root and grow on. Try some in a pot to begin with around your yard to find the best spots for blooming.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/803
http://www.brugmansia.us/growingandpropagation/tips.html
http://www.thegardenhelper.com/brugmansia.html

Thank you, Powder Springs.

They need tons of food. I don't know what your soils are like, but here growing in sand, I feed twice a month, and give extra iron four times a year. Compost is also spread four times a year.

Thanks Vestia-- Yes; my "soil" as well is very sandy. Aside from the iron, is there a specific food/fertilizer that your request?

If you have hard water, I would think a fertilizer for acid-loving plants would be helpful.

Hello, and thanks for the assistance. I just had some free time to prune the brugmansia in question, and it's really not in good shape. It's puzzling, because everything else planted in the area is doing really well. At any rate, I had to cut @18" off the ends of each branch but two until I got to solid wood. The cuttings were so brittle that I could break them merely by waving them briskly in the air with one hand. As I mentioned earlier, the tips were shriveled up much like orchid stems after their blooms are gone. Anyone know what might cause this (too much water, too little water, not enough sun, not enough nutrients, etc)?

I was unaware that the clippings can be re-potted. There isn't a whole lot left of this tree to spare, but I did clip two pieces that are 6-8" long, with 4 or 5 nodes each. For one, I dipped the base of it into root hormone powder and planted it in a small pot. The other I placed into a glass with water and a drop of liquid root hormone. Has anyone grown a brugmansia from a clipping with tips to share?

Thank you!

If no one has cuttings to share, check eBay - there are hundreds of them there either as seeds, cuttings, or potted plants.

Ah, pardon my lack of clarity. By "tips to share," I was asking if anyone had advice as to how I can most successfully grow my cuttings...