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Brugmansia outdoor survival in Seattle area?

7 years ago

last modified: 7 years ago

Anyone have experience keeping Brugmansia rootstock in the garden over winter? Will it come back from the rootstock in zone 8? At times I've heard it has worked. I'd like a quicker start to a larger plant next year.

We enjoyed a large white and pink Brugmansia this summer. The night before our first freeze. I cut them to 12" tall to save the 1-2" dia base stems and put cold frames over them to see if we could get them to grow next spring without freezing or rotting. We are storing cuttings just in case. I have wired the tops closed so they don't blow open. And closed air leaks with shallow soil burming at the bottom and duct tape where gaps were visible where panels came together.

Working so far. We had a 22F hard freeze for a few days, but it did not freeze inside the frames. And leaves did not wilt. The water droplets on the panels insides did not freeze either.

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Comments (2)

Patrick888
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
I've been asked to respond, as I live between Seattle & Tacoma. In a nutshell, my answer is "maybe"! I've never tried to leave a brug in-ground & protected with a coldframe, but I did leave a brug in-ground without protection. It worked one winter, then the roots froze/rotted the 2nd winter. Because our soil stays cool well into the growing season, my plant didn't begin to bloom until Oct. after growing 6 new trunks to blooming height.

It's worth experimenting, as you're doing. I would be concerned with the amount of condensation you're experiencing. When temps are above freezing, I'd open the coldframes to allow some evaporation. Like a terrarium, you don't want it really damp inside or you may end up with mold/mildew/rot. You also don't want wet soil.

I hope your experiment gives you good results. I now grow all my brugs in pots and store them dormant in my garage over winter, maintaining a min. temp of about 45 F. The species, B. sanguinea, is the only brug in my collection that I'll leave outdoors year 'round, but it too dies back to the ground (and NEVER blooms...lol).
garyz8bpnw thanked Patrick888
Embothrium
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
If you want them to bloom earlier you will not leave them in the ground - that produces the opposite effect. However, maybe the shelter from the frames will be adequate compensation. You will be able to tell if the tops freeze and die inside the frames - if that happens then the soil is probably becoming too cold for an early recovery of the tops, even if the roots do not die.

I've seen taking cuttings - don't remember if these were root or stem cuttings - and storing them over the winter in a refrigerator recommended as being the easiest way to keep the plants going in cold climates. Of course you probably have to have a warm environment to re-start them in every year to get a full season out of them.
garyz8bpnw thanked Embothrium
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