Curator’s Corner – Brugmansia sanguinea
Discover this delightful ornamental found throughout California with deep cultural roots in indigenous Andean medicine. This potent plant that has both captivated and cautioned generations.
Profile
Scientific name: Brugmansia sanguinea
Family: Solanaceae
Environment: Mild temperatures (~73.4° F), full sun to partial shade, moist but well-drained soil of loam and sand
Bloom: May – September
Plant type: Small tree, Tree
Uses: : Ornamental, Indigenous Medicine
Location: San Francisco Botanical Garden
All parts of B. sanguinea are toxic, its leaves and seeds are particularly dangerous.
Brugmansia sanguinea, commonly referred to as the red angel’s trumpet, is a small tree endemic to the Andes mountains of Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia, at elevations between 3280-12,139 ft. The vibrant flowers of B. sanguinea come in shades of red, yellow, orange, or green, with distinctive yellow veins. They are tubular, odorless, and can reach up to 8 in in length. These flowers grow abundantly against an evergreen canvas that matures to 8-12 ft tall by 5-8 ft wide. In situ, it can grow as tall as 33 ft! According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, B. sanguinea is categorized as Extinct in the Wild. The IUCN reports that indigenous healers have stated that B. sanguinea’s eradication is due to its toxicity and the declining numbers of healers with the expertise to use it safely.
Brugmansia sanguinea, commonly referred to as the red angel’s trumpet, is a small tree endemic to the Andes mountains of Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia, at elevations between 3280-12,139 ft. The vibrant flowers of B. sanguinea come in shades of red, yellow, orange, or green, with distinctive yellow veins. They are tubular, odorless, and can reach up to 8 in in length. These flowers grow abundantly against an evergreen canvas that matures to 8-12 ft tall by 5-8 ft wide. In situ, it can grow as tall as 33 ft! According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, B. sanguinea is categorized as Extinct in the Wild. The IUCN reports that indigenous healers have stated that B. sanguinea’s eradication is due to its toxicity and the declining numbers of healers with the expertise to use it safely.
Red angel’s trumpet (Brugmansia sanguinea)
All parts of B. sanguinea are toxic, its leaves and seeds are particularly dangerous. B. sanguinea contains several potent alkaloids, primarily scopolamine, hyoscyamine, and atropine. These compounds are responsible for the plant’s hallucinogenic effects due to their action on the central nervous system. They are anticholinergic, meaning they block the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the brain, leading to delirium and hallucinations, and in severe cases, convulsions, coma, respiratory failure, and death. The narrow therapeutic window between the hallucinogenic and toxic effects, as well as the various routes in which it can cause them (ingestion, inhalation, and touch), makes the plant particularly dangerous, highlighting the need for caution and awareness when handling it.
Keep an eye out for Brugmansia sanguinea at San Francisco Botanical Garden!
Text by Royal Jenkins, photos by
