There was an amazing Angel Trumpet shrub in this neighborhood years ago. It was gorgeous when it was in bloom, and then would die back to nothing over the winter. The first time I saw that happen I thought the plant was a goner, but no, it came right back in the spring. When that house sold I guess they took the plant out because I hadn’t noticed one for quite a while, until today.
I was driving along a shortcut that I use all the time, but this was the first time I noticed a yard that had five or six fully developed Angel Trumpet trees, and several smaller ones started also. They were covered in flowers, just beautiful. 
That made me remember a house I see on my way to work, so I drove by to see if their Angel Trumpets were also in bloom, and they were.
But as beautiful as they may be, they are deadly. Really. All parts of the plant are poisonous. I looked them up today and read gruesome accounts of deaths as the result of ingesting the plant. I also read an article in Southern Living that was all about how beautiful they are, easy to propagate, easy to grow, and smell divine, with no mention of them being poisonous. Another article said to plant them out in the open, but away from children’s play areas, or walkways where a person might accidentally come into contact with them, and it described wearing what amounted to a hazmat suit to do any pruning, etc. I read that they are extinct in the wild, but I also read that they are readily available for purchase online. So the information is all over the place. In light of that information it’s probably a good thing that I didn’t walk up to the front door of this house in order to ask permission to photograph their plants up close. There is one on each side of the walk and it did appear that a machete might come in handy to get to the door.
Maybe it’s a good thing that the only thing I can grow successfully is weeds. I don’t suppose I’ll be stressing over whether to buy an Angel Trumpet or not. Nope, I’ll just enjoy them as I drive by.
A Snowbird's Life Through the Lens 
Your photo shows Brugmansia, the shrub version of Angel’s Trumpet. I have grown Datura or Jimsonweed, also known as Angel’s Trumpet. I got mine from a small greenhouse in my town of Duxbury. The lady who owned it was a veritable encyclopedia of plants. And her small variety of perennials were cuttings from her own garden, with prices so low I could afford to buy lots every year. She cautioned that this Angel’s Trumpet was quite lethal if ingested. I did handle the plant without protection and here I am. It was not hardy, but would self seed much like Cleomes’ do. The seed pods looked a lot like chestnuts with thick burred outer shell and loads of seeds inside.
I stopped growing Datura when my grandchildren came along. Sadly, the greenhouse closed permanently a couple of years ago. I will have to look for another source, although the frugal gardener in me will probably object to the price.
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I actually also bought a Datura, but purple and a ‘devil’s trumpet’, which means the flowers point upward. I killed it fairly quickly, but still have the pot I bought to put it in, LOL. I knew it was poisonous when I bought it, but didn’t worry about touching it. Next time I talk about plants I’ll check with you first!
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Oh gosh, it seems to me gardening is much like photography. There is some formal learning but mostly it is getting your hands dirty and seeing what comes up. Every year I learn more about plants, but it is mostly only useful in my own ‘zone’. As I think about making a move south, it occurs to me I would have the chance to learn even more.
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If you move south then I know your parents will move north! LOL.
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Gorgeous blooms! Never saw those before!
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