Both carry outsized trumpet-shaped flowers and a strong, heady fragrance, but Brugmansia hangs its angel’s trumpets from a woody, tree-like shrub while Datura points its devil’s trumpets upwards from a low green stem. Both belong to the Solanaceae, and both are toxic from root to tip, so site them well away from nibbling pets.
There are quite a few ways to tell Brugmansia and Datura apart. Here they are summarized in a short table:
| Part of the plant | Brugmansia | Datura |
|---|---|---|
| Flower | Dangling, hangs down from above | Upright, stands up from below |
| Flower color | White, peach, yellow | White, purple |
| Bearing | Shrub growing to a small tree | Low-lying, rarely exceeds a yard in height (1 m) |
| Stem or Trunk | Turns woody and thickens | Stays green and dies back |
| Seed pod | Smooth with pointed tips, shaped like bean pods |
Roundish with spikes on the husk, like a chestnut |
| Seed pod | Fuzz on the skin of the pod | No hairs or fuzz, slick skin |
| Seed spreading | Pod slits open, decays, seeds fall off |
Pod bursts open, seeds propelled to a distance |
Both Datura and Brugmansia belong to the same family, the Solanaceae family. They share certain attributes in common.
Note: if your toddler or child has eaten brugmansia or datura plant parts, get in touch with emergency or poison services in your area immediately.
A handful of named varieties turn up again and again in garden centres and seed catalogues. Use the table to match flower colour and final size to the space you have.
| Variety | Flower colour | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| ‘Ballerina Purple’ | Double violet-purple, upright | Containers and small beds |
| ‘Blackcurrant Swirl’ | Purple and white, upright | Front-of-border feature |
| ‘Knightii’ | Double white, hanging | Scented spot near seating |
| ‘Charles Grimaldi’ | Golden orange, hanging | Large sheltered garden |
Named Brugmansia cultivars such as ‘Knightii’ and ‘Charles Grimaldi’ come true only from cuttings, since seedlings revert to variable flower colour and form.
Contrary to the claim of sterility, double-flowered forms such as Datura metel ‘Ballerina’ fruit freely and are routinely raised from commercially sold seed, though some seedlings may revert to single flowers.
‘Ballerina Purple’ and ‘Blackcurrant Swirl’ are Datura metel selections, easily raised from seed and treated as annuals in cold gardens.
Depending on the size of your garden, you might prefer either Brugmansia and Datura.
Brugmansia will grow rather large, up to several yards tall. It grows into a tree-like shrub.
You can guide it along a lattice to ensure it doesn’t fall over. This is especially relevant when growing it along a wall, where growth is imbalanced.
Datura stays rather small, and tends to send new branches out from the base when older ones die off.
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