Angel's Trumpet (Brugmansia): How to spot it and stay safe
If you’ve seen large, hanging, trumpet-shaped flowers in a garden, you might be looking at angel’s trumpet. It’s a striking plant, but it’s toxic. Knowing how to identify it, what the risks are, and what to do if someone or a pet is exposed can make a big difference.
What it looks like and where you’ll find it
Angel’s trumpet belongs to the Brugmansia group. Look for trees or large shrubs with long, dangling, bell-like flowers that can be white, yellow, pink, or peach. Leaves are broad and soft. The plant often blooms in warm climates or as a potted specimen in cooler areas. People plant it for dramatic flowers, not realizing the danger lurking in every part of the plant.
Don’t confuse it with Datura (jimsonweed): datura’s flowers face upward and the seedpods are spiky. Brugmansia’s big hanging blooms and smooth seedpods give it away.
Toxicity: what’s in the plant and how it affects you
Angel’s trumpet contains strong tropane alkaloids: scopolamine, hyoscyamine, and atropine. These chemicals block certain nerve signals and can cause dry mouth, rapid heartbeat, dilated pupils, blurred vision, confusion, hallucinations, high body temperature, trouble urinating, and in severe cases seizures or coma.
Symptoms usually show within 30 minutes to a few hours after contact or ingestion. Even touching the plant and then rubbing your eyes or putting fingers in your mouth can cause problems. Children and pets are at higher risk because it takes less toxin to cause trouble.
Some people try angel’s trumpet for hallucinations. That’s dangerous. The dose is unpredictable and side effects can be severe or life-threatening.
What to do if exposure happens
If someone ate any part of the plant or shows symptoms: call your local poison control center or emergency services right away. In the US, Poison Control is 1-800-222-1222. Describe the plant and the person’s symptoms. Don’t make the person vomit unless a medical professional tells you to. Keep them calm, cool, and watched closely.
For skin contact, wash the area and remove contaminated clothing. For eye contact, flush eyes with clean water for 10–15 minutes and get medical advice. If a pet eats the plant, call your veterinarian immediately—vets often treat these cases aggressively with medications and supportive care.
In a medical setting, doctors may give activated charcoal if the ingestion was recent, IV fluids, medications to control heart rate and agitation, and specific antidotes like physostigmine in selected cases. Only trained clinicians decide on those steps.
Prevention is simple: wear gloves when gardening, teach kids not to touch or eat unknown plants, and remove or fence off Brugmansia if you have curious pets or children. If you love the look but worry about safety, consider safer ornamental alternatives.
Angel’s trumpet is beautiful but not harmless. Spot it, respect it, and act fast if exposure happens.
