‘Neonlight’

Another of the cool-growing brugmansias * has decided to flower. So far there is only a single bloom, but the plant is growing well and is shapely so I have high hopes for it. ‘Neonlight’ is a B. vulcanicola hybrid of German origin, raised by Anne Kirchner-Able that was introduced in 2008. These hybrids are sometimes referred to as B. x vulsa because their ancestry combines B. vulcanicola and B. sanguinea (B. vulcanicola was for many years considered merely a variant of B. sanguinea). Both come from the mountains of Columbia and the red flowers are pollinated by birds. Unlike the warm-growing brugs, the flowers are not scented (birds cannot smell – though anyone who keeps chickens will know they not only do smell but stink! – and bird-pollinated flowers are often red and produce copious nectar).

Inside the 18cm long trumpets

While most of the other brugs like warmth, these dislike temperatures above 30c (about 80f) and they grow best with a little shade from hot sun and cool nights – so they should do well in Ireland! They can flower (in flushes) through much of the year but we will see how well this does over the coming months.

The brugmansias in January

* The seven species are divided into two groups which are different in appearance and cannot (so far) be hybridised. The cool-growing species are B. sanguinea, B. vulcanicola and B. arborea and are the Sphaerocarpium group. The warm-growers are B. aurea, B. insignis, B. suaveolens and B. versicolor (section Brugmansia). It is these warm-growers that are most often seen and have been most highly hybridised. They have larger flowers and are generally more showy but the cooler types are hardly dull!

Brugmansia 'Neonlight', brugmansia sanguinea, brugmansia vulcanica, Brugmansia vulsa