I love the angel trumpet vine. The flowers dangle from upright stems, looking like a long trumpet and they are wonderfully fragrant. The flowers have single or double blooms. They come in a variety of colors like white, yellow, pink, orange and cream. The flowers can be as long as 20 inches long. Be careful when planting this vine in your yard because all parts of the plant are poisonous.
Angel’s trumpet grows outdoors in U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 9 through 11, but if you live in zones lower than 9, you will have to grow this plant as a houseplant. The plant grows between 6 and 20 feet tall with a spread of 10 to 15 feet. The green leaves are 6 to 8 inches long and the seed pods are 3 to 6 inches long.
Find the Right Location
Whether you are growing the angel’s trumpet in the soil or in a pot, they prefer their growing area to have full sun exposure with shade during the hottest parts of the day. You should have a trellis or fence for the angel trumpet to grow against for support. Although they would look wonderful against your house, it is not a good idea because they can pry off shingles, window screens or loose boards on your house.
Dig a hole that is slightly wider than the angel trumpet’s rootball. Insert the rootball in the center of the planting hole and make sure it is about a 1/4- to a 1/2 inch higher than the surrounding ground. The rootball will settle in place after you water. Fill the hole with amended soil, tamping it lightly with your hands. This will remove any air pockets in the soil.
Water the soil thoroughly. Check the soil daily through the season and water to keep the soil moist at all times. Do not water so much that the soil is soggy, or the plant may die.
Fertilizer
Fertilize the angel trumpet every two to three weeks. You can use a general all-purpose fertilizer, mixed according to label directions. When the plant is ready to bloom, switch fertilizers if you want big beautiful flowers. Find a fertilizer with high phosphorous content.
The planting area should not have any weeds or other vegetation growing close beside the angel trumpet, otherwise they will steal the moisture and nutrients that your vining plant needs. To help conserve soil moisture, add a 3 to 4 inch layer of organic mulch over the soil. This will also help keep any weeds from growing.
Frost
If frost is in the forecast, cover the angel trumpet with a blanket or tarp. Although the angel trumpet can survive one night of light frost, it will not come back after several nights of frost or a hard frost without some protection.
Prune
Prune the angel trumpet when the main trunk forms the first “Y”. Remove the older branches or stems to encourage your angel trumpet to grow more branches and to have more blooms.
Sources:
Gardener’s Net: How to Grow and Care for Angel Trumpet
