Vulcanicola closeup
Brugmansia vulcanicola - is one of the most difficult to find wild species of the genus Brugmansia. Even in it's natural habitat in Southern Colombia (Popayán / Vulcano Puracé) and in neighboring regions in Ecuador B. vulcanicola is cross-hybridizing willingly with B. sanguinea. There is high probability that the in US available material from Zuñac (collected in 2007) is also hybrid material. The material which originates form San Franzisco Botanical Garden named Strybing Clon 621 is clearly a hybrid with B. sanguinea.
In bigger european plant collections (like Kew Gardens....) the plant is not present at the moment. There could be a change in near future as it was possible to get hands on seeds collected in South America and also to get plant material from a private collection in Germany.
The wild species seems to offer various colour types. In literature the main form is described by having a yellow coloured tube with a red overlay. But in nature there have been found also bright pink and rose-violett-coloured variants of the plant (in the area of San Gabriel and El Playón), which have been rated as wild typ species.
Brugmansia sanguinea is easy to separate from B. vulcanicola by it's form and size of the dark green, nearly non pubescent serated leaves, the form of the flower tube and it's colour as well as the warty surface of its fruit.
Hybrids of vulcanicolas which are mainly offered in Europe on a commercial basis are type of Vulcanicola-Sanguinea (Vulsa), Vulcanicola-Arborea (Vularbo) and Vulcanicola-Sanguinea-Arborea (Arbovulsa). A very good example is the cvs. 'Roter Vulkan'.
(Synonymous, unvalid names for B. vulcanicola: B. sanguinea ssp. vulcanicola, Datura vulcanicola)
pictures: a red Vulcanicola-hybrid form
The hybrid 'Roter Vulkan' is originating from the hybridizing progame of the wellknown Brugmansia specialist Dr. Preißel and is attracting attention by its vivid flower color. The colour-spectrum of the available hybrid material is variing from a bright red to pink, various shades of lilac to yellow.
The plants are rated by growers as very special in care. But up to my mind that's not really true if one is studying a little bit the growing conditions in it's natural environment.
The plants need a protected cool place with watering on a steady basis - but no water lodge - as well as a sufficient donation of nutrients including trace elements. When the surrounding temps drop down under 20°C, plants start growing very fast and set flowers. A friend of mine is growing plants in Southern California where temps in summer go up to 35°C. So they can bear a lot of heat.
Owners of frost free green houses and conservatories can have a lot of joy with the intense coloured fowers during the winter periode.
>> back
Interesting Links:
www.brugmansia.us (a international forum for Brugmansia growers and breeders)