Angel's trumpets (plant)

There are two related plants known as Angel's Trumpet, both members of the Solanaceae (Nightshade) family, along with tobacco, tomatoes and petunias.

The Brugmansias are large, tree-like plants, reaching heights of 10 feet or more, with tan, slightly rough bark. The leaves are generally large, 8 to 12 inches long, and are covered with fine hairs. Brugmansias are tropical plants, native to northwestern South America.

The plant gets its name from its large, very dramatic trumpet-shaped flowers, about 9 inches long and 6 inches across at the wide end. These flowers hang down from the branches reminiscent of heavenly trumpets directed towards the Earth. The flowers have a delicate, attractive scent with light lemony overtones, most noticeable in the calm of early evening.

The other plant known as Angel's Trumpet is closely related to Brugmansias, but looks quite different. Datura metel is shorter, and more of a shrub than a tree, with leaves that are not hairy and often have a purple tint to them. The young stems are typically shiny, dark purple. It has similar trumpet-shaped flowers, white, purple and white, or pale yellow, and more commonly is double-flowered; however, unlike Brugmansias, Daturas' flowers are somewhat less fragrant and point upwards, causing them to sometimes be called, in contrast, Devil's Trumpets.

As with many members of the Nightshade family, all parts of Brugmansia and Datura plants are toxic. The plants are sometimes ingested for recreational or shamanistic intoxication; however because the potency of the toxic compounds in the plant is variable, the degree of intoxication is unpredictable, and can be fatal.