Where Are Angel Trumpet Seeds?

Q: Where are angel trumpet seeds? I see ads for the seeds but I can’t see any on my plant! 

A: An angel trumpet (Brugmansia) seed pod looks like an okra pod hanging from a short stem where a flower once bloomed.

If, like most folks, you have several offspring from a single mother plant, it will be rare to find a seed pod. Angel trumpet does not self-pollinate very well; flowers need pollen from a completely different variety to make seed successfully. If you do have a pod, it can take three or four months to mature and have viable seeds inside. This can be a problem for Southern gardeners if their plant blooms in late summer or early fall.

Seeds can be harvested when the pod stem turns yellow and the pod itself wrinkles up. Save the seeds in a dry place over winter and plant them outdoors when the soil is warm in May.