Despite last year's freeze here in Florida, we managed to rescue some of our Hibiscus crosses. These crosses were made in Spring 2008, and the seed was harvested in the Summer of 2009. The outcomes were very interesting indeed!

Beware of the word "rare". One of the most satisfying aspects of growing Brugmansia is growing them from seed. Compared to many other plants, Brugmansia has a relatively fast turnover rate. Plant a seed, and you have a flowering plant within 12 - 18 months. That's pretty fast when you consider something akin to an amaryllis bulb takes three years from seed to flower.

Iochroma - Propagating From Cuttings


If propagating Iochroma from seed seems a daunting task. Your best bet is propagating them from cuttings. They can be a bit difficult. Iochroma cuttings are fussy little devils. They like temps around 75 degrees (in late April or May here in Florida), damp, not wet planting medium and low light conditions. Once you get a good sized plant going and have new, tender growth evident, you're ready for surgery!

So, let's get going!

Propagating Brugmansia Via Air Layering

If you've been a good parent to your Brugmansia plants, they've grown tall and have produced many flushes of beautiful, sweet smelling blooms. You're a success! Now, after reading all about this hybridizing stuff, you're interested in starting your own hybridizing program. You've studied the Brugmansia cultivar history, you have some ideas about what kind of results you'de like to acheive and you've selected the Brugs you want to use for setting pods. There's only one problem. You can't reach the flowers! They're up there, and you're down here! The solution to the problem is air layering.