Expert: Tom Alonzo - 9/29/2003

Question
Hello, thanks for being here. When we visited Georgia in March and my cousin gave me a cutting of his Angels Trumpet (tree, shrub ?) He had cut them in the fall and had them rooting in water in his garage. I kept it in the house until it was warm enough here in Michigan. It took a while to get going, but it has gone wild on the north side of my house, where I could keep a very close eye on it all summmer. Now it is 6 feet tall and has many arms and branches that I can get cuttings from, so I could spread the wealth of this beautiful plant with my friends and family. What would you suggest? My cousin had these cuttings in the garage, which I cannot do in Michigan as our garage freezes. I do have a basement that's around 60-65 degrees, a little warmer during a sunny day. I will also have to bring this Mother plant inside also. I plan to cut it way back and pot it, and bring it in the house down the basement. I have kept my fuscia's, Lantana's, geranium's,etc. alive for years. Should I treat this angel trumpet the same way? These plants  look almost dead by the end of winter but they always get going again by spring and summer. I'm just worried about keeping cuttings the length of a 6 month winter in Michigan (I should move)...I would be very thankful for any suggestions or advice you could throw my way. Thanks, Ann  

Answer
Hi Ann,
Thanx for your question.  I live in Kansas and overwinter a lot of the plants you mentioned and others.  I managed to keep a brugmansia (also called angel's trumpet) indoors over the winter and have it come back in the spring.  It sounds to me like you already know what to do.  The plant will not tolerate consistent temps below 50 degrees F.  Keep it in your basement and try to give it plenty of light.  Water only when its potting soil dries out.  I hope this helps.
Tom