Monday morning: the bud is larger, with more of the orange color:

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Thanks for posting, Mark. It is interesting to watch with you of the progress of the blooms.

My brugs are still dormant in the basement. Soon I will put them under lights to get ready for moving outside late this spring. It is still snowy and freezing here. This cold spring is making up for the very early warm spring we had last year.

mnwsgal,

I didn't realize it was still so cold in MN. Half of my relatives (aunts, uncles, cousins) live there. I have an uncle in Northfield who grows Daturas. Years ago I suggested he try Brugmansias, and I think I gave him a couple cuttings. I'm not sure if he followed up on it. I think it's amazing they can be grown successfully with such a short growing season.

Here's tonight's update:

The bud is bigger/longer:

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And a second one is opening:

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I still can't figure out what it will be...

It's getting longer and more colored:

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I still can't tell what it is, although the coloration might be consistent with a B. sanguinea or something else. Not a yellow sanguinea. Possibly the coloration on the corolla tube extends farther up than on most red B. sanguineas?

The color continues to intensify, and I think the bud is still lengthening. Here's a photo this morning in the sun. Again note that the color extends farther up the corolla tube than for a typical B. sanguinea. It also seems relatively long and narrow, I think.

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I think it's getting very close. I was hoping it would be opening this morning.

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I think the color of the most intense regions is close to what is called "international orange"--the color of the Golden Gate Bridge. I expect that color to change.

The view at 7 A.M.:

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And from below (sorry for the fuziness):

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A check of the color comes up with names such as "torch red" and "radical red". It will be interesting to see how the color continues to develop.

The flower is open and the color continues to develop.

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Here's one from this evening. It was no longer sunny, but not yet dark when I took the photo. I added a couple things that I grabbed nearby for color comparison/contrast. The red is Petunia exserta, the pinkish/purple is Centradenia floribunda.

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Beautiful! It's nice to see how it progressed, congrats.

Hi Eloise,

Thanks. It's nice to get a pleasant surprise from a mislabeled plant!

I think the color has stabilized in the first flower to open. Here's a photo that shows it nicely:

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A second flower has opened, and I'll just show the whole plant so that you can see them both. The newer flower is on the left:

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The entire plant is about two and a half feet tall,and growing quickly.

I notice the colors in the photos seem a bit muted. The Gardenweb photo upload system seems to work better than Photobucket for this. I'll repeat the last photo, using the Gardenweb upload:

I'm not sure if I mentioned that I later bought a second plant at the same nursery, with the same label. That plant opened a flower over the last few days. It is still in a 1 gallon pot. I believe it's the same, and that any differences are due to the lighting, age of the flower, etc.

WOW! What a stunner! Never seen one that color before. Blessings really do come in disguise ;) ! Does it have a scent?

I haven't noticed a scent, but if there is something faint I could have missed it. From what I understand, fragrance of a "cold group" (Sphaerocarpium) flower would imply the flower is part Brugmansia arborea, as it's the only species in this group with any fragrance. Even then, only some such hybrids are fragrant.

The color is pretty amazing. I've grown the Strybing vulsa, and it reminds me of that, but much more intense. One of the "experts" has suggested that the hybrid is B. sanguinea ('Inca Princess'?) x Strybing vulsa.

Thanks for showing us your images, the flower has stunning colour.

MARK
Seems California is the place to grow Brugmansia

Boy that was nice going through the day to day reports on the development of the bloom
Exciting it is growing Brugmansia

More
we want more

Diane

Beautiful, if you ever sell any cuttings, I'm up for grabs.
Patsey

Mark again the picture just came to my laptop while I am awaitng news re my son is travelling by air from Toronto to Ft Myers

I am listening to the news of the bombing in Boston and worried about him on an air plane
Sad for the people involved and hurt and their families

Then here came this picture of beauty

My sister in law and brother are going to be in California, now I forget where they are going to be For an entire month Do you think they might be able to purchase and send to me one of those plants if there are yet any at the nursery you purchased yours from.
.

Hi Diane,

You would have to check with the owner of Hortica to see what he might have in stock or if he could special order. The problem is that since the wholesaler doesn't seem to realize what they have, you'd have to buy a previously bloomed one to be sure. I did see 5 gallon plants with the same label at a nursery in Berkeley that bloomed like a typical red/orange B. sanguinea.

Another problem is that one gallon plants are difficult and expensive to ship.

I'm attempting to propagate the plant(s) and have already started about 15 cuttings. Cuttings are slower and less predictable than warmer-growing Brugmansias.

This is probably premature, but you could always check with Elizabeth Peters at Grassy Knoll Exotic Plants and see if this is a plant she plans to propagate and sell. She already sells the Strybing vulsa at a very reasonable price and I believe she has other interesting Sphaerocarpium Brugmansias that she will hopefully sell at some point. I'm sure she would be interested to know that there are people who would buy the plant. She runs a first-rate nursery and has some amazing plants. I understand she does ship internationally. It doesn't have a name, but she'd understand which plant if you referred to it as the Suncrest Brugmansia from Randy.

I've discussed this with others, and I think it makes sense to refer to the plant as the "Suncrest vulsa" in the absence of any other information.

Here is a link that might be useful: Grassy Knoll Exotic Plants

I am all the way back home in Canada
Brought my dear Brugmansias out of the cold room and now outside Is yet cold for them but not freezing
Has been lots of rain and it in spite of cool weather, gets them going
Lots of clean up , spring clean up to do in the gardens.
I miss my lovely gardens in Ft Myers Florida that I left behind Including the Brugmansia that where just starting to bloom
Was hoping tonight there might be more of your fabulous photos to inspire and keep me motivated.
It is so good to be home, but, all the treasures in my gardens, need time and care Will be awhile Lots of Hellebores in bloom Different colours they look good and crocus and daffodils Don't get me wrong, spring is pretty.
Love to see more of your so good photos. Still, we want more.