Exotic Brugmansia for your Subtropical Garden Design

Lee Betts, from Exotic Earth Plants, with ideas on tropical planting for UK gardens, and a selection of Brugmansia from his unique collection. - 10 May 2020

When we think of subtropical gardens what are the first plants which spring to mind? Bamboo,  Fatsia japonica,or perhaps Mediterranean plants like Fig or Lemon trees? 

For over a hundred years in the British Isles we have pushed the boundaries of gardening to their limits and with a country of garden fanatics we should all start to push our gardening skills to the next level.

Subtropical gardening is a great way to test your gardening skills and ultimately be rewarded with exotic looking flowers and architectural foliage to set your garden  apart from others.

At Exotic Earth Plants I select subtropical plants suitable for growing in UK which will add an exotic  feel to your garden. Through years of growing numerous subtropical plant varieties and visiting several subtropical gardens Exotic Earth Plants has grown a selection of plants which could be used to ensure a large impact addition to your garden.

One of those impact plants is the Brugmansia. As one of the UK's  leading specialists in Brugmansia, formerly Datura, I offer a variety of cultivated Angel Trumpet plants to accompany your subtropical foliage. They make an excellent addition to any garden, terrace or patio, in the ground or in a pot, with strikingly large scented flowers and a fast plant growth rate which will not disappoint.

Subtropical Plant Selection

If you are new to subtropical gardening I have some quick tips for selecting some exotic looking architectural plants to start or build your collection:

• Look for large showy leaves - this is always a show stopper like Musa Basjoo, Gunnera or Tetrapanax
• Large colourful flowers always gives a exotic feel such as Brugmansia, Lillium or Passiflora
• Tall evergreen plants, ferns or palms - Trachycarpus, Cordyline or Dicksonia
• Add a touch of South Africa - such as Agapanthus, Protea, Lampranthus, or Crocosmia
• Add something usual such as Puya, Amorphophallus, Callistemon, Colocasia, Canna, or Abutilon

Brugmansia

As a specialist in this species, I can certainly help you select the right Brugmansia for your garden. With over 50 different types of Brugmansia and growing I have expert knowledge regarding the plant care and cultivation of the species. The Brugmansia we hold can be seen on the plant shop section of our website at www.exoticearthplants.co.uk

I hold triple, double and single flower varieties and also some Sphaerocarpium (cold group) varieties. I am continuing to expand the selection of Sphaerocarpium Brugmansia and have grown most from seed, including some newer varieties below which I have named:

B. rubella 'Incan Red Flame'

 

B. sanguinea 'Rocket Lolly'

 

B. sanguinea x vulcanicola (Vulsa)

 

B. 'Mobisu'

All of the above are cold group Brugmansia are available exclusively through us, either online or at plant fairs.

We also have warm group (WG) varieties which have large colourful corollas and are perfumed with exquisite fragrance which gets stronger in the evening air. Below are some examples of WG Brugmansia that we grow.

B. 'Langanbuscher Garten'

 

B. suaveolens 'Frosty Pink'

For more details about Brugmansia, and how to grow them in the UK, please take a look at my earlier article on the genus, Brugmansia: Growing in a Frost-Prone UK

Lee Betts owns Exotic Earth Plants based in Devon, a new specialist supplier of Brugmansia (Angel Trumpets) & other subtropical plants suitable for the UK climate. A goal of the private nursery is to grow all seven single wild species of Brugmansia listed as extinct in the wild by the IUCN Red List. They are also growing two- and three-species Brugmansia hybrids,contributing towards an ex-situ collection to support the species as a whole. They are also Plant Guardians of several Brugmansia varieties through Plant Heritage.