Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Common Angel's Trumpet bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Common Angel's Trumpet, Maikoa, Tree Datura (Brugmansia arborea).

More about common angel's trumpet

About Common Angel's Trumpet

Brugmansia arborea · also called Common Angel's Trumpet, Maikoa · flowering

Brugmansia arborea is a large, fast-growing shrub or small tree from the Andes producing pendulous white trumpet flowers with an intense evening fragrance. All parts are severely toxic to humans and animals. Best grown outdoors in frost-free climates or as a container specimen overwintered indoors. Provides a dramatic tropical focal point.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Failure to flower: Brugmansia arborea flowers only on mature wood above the first Y-shaped fork — avoid hard pruning of all new growth and ensure the plant receives adequate phosphorus and potassium in its feed.

The reasons common angel's trumpet isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming common angel's trumpet traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding common angel's trumpet a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get common angel's trumpet to flower

Maximise sun. Give common angel's trumpet the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for common angel's trumpet and get the feeding right with the common angel's trumpet fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Common Angel's Trumpet flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full common angel's trumpet care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Common Angel's Trumpet blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my common angel's trumpet flower?

Common Angel's Trumpet blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make common angel's trumpet bloom?

Give common angel's trumpet the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does common angel's trumpet normally bloom?