One of the things that I like most about being a home inspector is that I get to visit lots of different properties with lots of different gardens and plants. My first grade teacher in Brigham City, Utah, got me interested in plants (specifically the heartleaf ivy and nasturtiums) and my wise old grandmother in Kingsville, Texas, developed my interest in cactus and succulents.

Several years ago at an inspection I saw a plant that I was eventually able to identify as an angels trumpet and decided that I had to have one. I eventually found one at a nursery and took it home. Here's what it looks like after five years:

It's very adaptable to tropical and subtropical weather, as well as wet or dry condition, although it does better if well watered.

I have several different colors on my property and keep them well watered, fertilized (bloom-growth fertilizer), and pruned, since blossoms only appear on new growth. They do bloom year-round here in San Diego.

You can find the angels trumpet listed as either the Brugmansia or Datura species. The flowers are 12-18 inches long and are so heavy that they hang down, especially during the heat of the day, so forcing the plant to grow as a standard where you can get under it to see the flowers is preferable for the best effect. At night the flowers become extremely fragrant. If you think roses are fragrant, you obviously haven't been near the angels trumpet.

Unfortunately, both the Brugmansia or Datura species have white, milky sap, a common sign of a plant that can be a skin irritant, so enjoy the blossoms and the fragrance, but wear gloves and a long sleeve shirt when pruning and cleaning up under the tree.

Why is it that some of the most beautiful flowers (roses, angels trumpet) have other such nasty attributes (thorns, skin irritant)?