Cuttings giveaway: Brugmansia "Suncrest vulsa". Restricted by climate/conditions
I urgently need to cut back my Brugmansia, and I will not be able to use all the cuttings. So I'd like to offer some of the cuttings in a giveaway.
There are several problems with this. One is that the plant is highly restricted in terms of its temperature requirements. It barely makes it here, due to our "heat": temps about 75/55 F in the Summer. It stops flowering for much of the year, and the whole plant wilts when it's over 70 or so. "Vulsa" stands for VULcanicola + SAnguinea, the two parents thought to be present in its background. Both parents are from about 3000 m (roughly 10,000 ft) in the Andes, near the equator. Imagine a 10 ft tall Nepenthes villosa and you get the idea.
So I'll send the cuttings to whomever responds first (and follows up with Paypal for postage) and who either: lives in Sunset zones 15-17 or 24. Also the parts of zone 14, 22-23 where summer highs are below 85 F. OR someone who lives in a cool summer area: AHS heat zones 1-3, or cooler parts of heat zone 4, and has a spacious greenhouse to bloom the plant in, probably mostly in the winter. My impression is that the only place it will bloom in the summer is in places with summer highs in the 60s. Elsewhere it will bloom in the cooler months, so chopping it back and sending it into semi-dormancy like a warm-growing Brugmansia does not make sense. If someone has a track record and space and conditions for growing cool growers by other means, feel free to try to persuade me.
Here's the AHS Heat Zone Map:
https://www.hostasdirect.com/images/contentimages/AHS Heat Map.jpg
The other problem is that the cuttings will likely be much more difficult (and slower) to root than most warm-growing Brugmansias, which by comparison are very easy. I will most likely send the softer new growth. I've rooted that before, but again many find it difficult. I'll probably keep most or all of the more woody growth to root here.
The plant is called the "Suncrest vulsa" (I should probably use double quotes as it is not a "recognized" name) as this is a plant I bought, origin with the wholesaler Suncrest. It was labeled as the all-yellow 'Inca Princess'. I was told by the nursery owner who sold it to me that it was intense pink, and nicer than the plant on the label. All the experts agree it is part Brugmansia vulcanicola, hence a vulsa, and therefore the nickname.
Here's the plant in bloom a few weeks ago. This (and surrounding growth) is the branch I need to cut back. It was already falling over, then it rained, and it's on the fence.
I could ship either 1 or 2 lb. most likely, which is why I'm being vague about shipping costs. That might be $6-$11.55, depending where in the U.S. Possibly I will have enough material for 2 people. I need to get a better look in the morning. I would like to cut this back in the next couple of days.
I urgently need to cut back my Brugmansia, and I will not be able to use all the cuttings. So I'd like to offer some of the cuttings in a giveaway.
There are several problems with this. One is that the plant is highly restricted in terms of its temperature requirements. It barely makes it here, due to our "heat": temps about 75/55 F in the Summer. It stops flowering for much of the year, and the whole plant wilts when it's over 70 or so. "Vulsa" stands for VULcanicola + SAnguinea, the two parents thought to be present in its background. Both parents are from about 3000 m (roughly 10,000 ft) in the Andes, near the equator. Imagine a 10 ft tall Nepenthes villosa and you get the idea.
So I'll send the cuttings to whomever responds first (and follows up with Paypal for postage) and who either: lives in Sunset zones 15-17 or 24. Also the parts of zone 14, 22-23 where summer highs are below 85 F. OR someone who lives in a cool summer area: AHS heat zones 1-3, or cooler parts of heat zone 4, and has a spacious greenhouse to bloom the plant in, probably mostly in the winter. My impression is that the only place it will bloom in the summer is in places with summer highs in the 60s. Elsewhere it will bloom in the cooler months, so chopping it back and sending it into semi-dormancy like a warm-growing Brugmansia does not make sense. If someone has a track record and space and conditions for growing cool growers by other means, feel free to try to persuade me.
Here's the AHS Heat Zone Map:
https://www.hostasdirect.com/images/contentimages/AHS Heat Map.jpg
The other problem is that the cuttings will likely be much more difficult (and slower) to root than most warm-growing Brugmansias, which by comparison are very easy. I will most likely send the softer new growth. I've rooted that before, but again many find it difficult. I'll probably keep most or all of the more woody growth to root here.
The plant is called the "Suncrest vulsa" (I should probably use double quotes as it is not a "recognized" name) as this is a plant I bought, origin with the wholesaler Suncrest. It was labeled as the all-yellow 'Inca Princess'. I was told by the nursery owner who sold it to me that it was intense pink, and nicer than the plant on the label. All the experts agree it is part Brugmansia vulcanicola, hence a vulsa, and therefore the nickname.
Here's the plant in bloom a few weeks ago. This (and surrounding growth) is the branch I need to cut back. It was already falling over, then it rained, and it's on the fence.
I could ship either 1 or 2 lb. most likely, which is why I'm being vague about shipping costs. That might be $6-$11.55, depending where in the U.S. Possibly I will have enough material for 2 people. I need to get a better look in the morning. I would like to cut this back in the next couple of days.
