The Angel's Trumpets, as the Brugmansia are also know as, grow well in full coastal sun or shade with an occasional to moderate irrigation. Although these more tropical varieties are cold hardy to about 20-25 degrees F, they can resprout from the base and are often semi-deciduous in colder years. The large specimen plants of most varieties in our gardens have survived short duration temperatures to around 20° F with only tip damage and repeated short duration nights down to 25° F. Hummingbirds and moths are attracted to the large fragrant flowers. They benefit from a hard cut back or pruning for shape in the spring but use care working with them as all parts of these plants are poisonous, which also makes them resistant to deer predation.

Brugmansia is a genus in the Potato Family (Solanaceae) that has 7 species, all from South America and the cultivated varieties are often hybrids between several of these species. The name for the genus honors the Dutch naturalist, physician and botanist Sebald Justinus Brugmans (1763-1819), who taught at the University of Leiden. Angel's Trumpet is the most used of the common names, but other names include Belladona and Tree Datura, although the latter is somewhat misleading as Datura is also a genus name to which Brugmansia is closely related and in the past was included with. The main distinguishing aspect that separates the Brugmansia from the true species of Datura is that the Brugmansia are large shrubs or small trees with pendant flowers and the Datura, or Jimsonweeds (a name corrupted from Jamestown weed), are annual or perennial herbaceous plants with upright facing flowers. The species of Brugmansia are divided into two natural, genetically isolated groups, the section Brugmansia, also known as the "Warm Group" with the species involved in most of the cultivars we grow, Brugmansia aurea, Brugmansia insignis, Brugmansia suaveolens and Brugmansia versicolor. The other section, the Sphaerocarpium, also called the "Cold Group" includes the hardier species Brugmansia arborea, Brugmansia sanguinea and Brugmansia vulcanicola.

Brugmansia 'Charles Grimaldi' is a hybrid in the B. x cubensis group, which are those considered to be hybrids between B. suaveolens, B. versicolor, and B. aurea. It was named after the late Charles Grimaldi, a California landscape designer by famed plant breeder Bartley Schwarz (1950 -2004), who operated Highland Tropicals nursery in Half Moon Bay. It is often listed as a hybrid between Brugmansia 'Dr. Seus' and Brugmansia 'Frosty Pink', but rightfully should be Brugmansia 'Hetty Krauss' x Brugmansia 'Frosty Pink' as 'Hetty Krauss' was the valid name of the plant found in Columbia that later became known in the trade as 'Dr Seus'. The very similar plant that we grew for many years thinking it was Brugmansia 'Charles Grimaldi' turned out to be the parent plant Brugmansia 'Hetty Krauss'. We are grateful to Ilie Gacue at the San Francisco Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum for clearing this up and getting us stock in the year 2000 of the true B. 'Charles Grimaldi', which we feel is a superior plant. We have grown the true Brugmansia 'Charles Grimaldi' in sizes up to 24-inch boxes since 2001. 

This information about Brugmansia 'Charles Grimaldi' displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.