We recently added a yellow brugmansia to our front yard.  It came in a 15 gallon pot and had two healthy tree trunks that each branched into a Y with maybe 8" extensions, about 24" tall coming out of the pot.  It looked like it was doing fine until yesterday, when I noticed both of the Y branches looking shriveled.  I went to squeeze one of them and it was mushy, and some of the bark just tore off, kinda slimy underneath.  The main trunks still feel healthy though.  

So it's possible that they've been overwatered.  We transplanted them in our yard next to a waterfall, which has a little bit of oversplash and keeps some of the earth in the area damp.  The brugmansia datura is above the waterfall though, so I didn't think this would affect it.  We only watered the plant once when we transplanted it, but it has rained on a near weekly basis, a couple days at a time.

I'm also thining that maybe it's been too cold up here too.  We had temps in the 30's a couple weeks ago, but mostly we've only gotten down to the high 40's.

I guess I'm going to keep the waterfall off a little longer during the day, and make an effort to contain the splash a little better.

Should I cut the tree back some to get rid of the mushy branches?  Does this sound like an overwatering issue or is it just too cold up here, or both?

I 'll add some pics on Monday.

Thanks!  Zac.

Hi Zac,
I'm also in California. First off, could you tell me where in California you are? That will help greatly. Plus, if you could tell me what the area is like in detail where the Brug was planted (for instance, on a hill, slope, low spot, Full Sun, Under a tree, in the open, North facing, South Facing, etc..). Does the Brug have a cultivar name tag? Also, how thick is the main trunk, and where did the Brown Wood stop (ie: above the fork, below the fork, etc.)?

Photos could be very helpful, and especially if you might have a before and after pic.

Thanks for asking the question and I hope we can figure out something for you!
RJ

Hi RJ thanks for getting back to me.

We live in Roseville, CA in the Sacramento area, just below the Sierra Nevada foothills at Auburn.

We planted the Brug on a very mild slope in the front yard where it gets full morning sun until about noon.  Our front yard is separated into two levels by a pondless waterfall and stream with a 2' retaining wall.  The Brug is planted on the upper level, about 18" back from the retaining wall and waterfall.  Our house faces northeast and the tree is in the front yard and gets full sun until about noon these days.  I don't have a cultivar tag but I'm pretty sure it's an Angel's Trumpet with yellow flowers like the ones in Union Square in San Francisco.  The trunks are about 1.5" thick at the base, and maintain that thickness for about a foot or so where they branch off into a Y for another eight or inches or so.  The Y branches are maybe .75" thick or so and the entire Y branches are wilted and spongy, yet straight.  The main trunks seems to be in good shape still.  There are two trunks coming out of the ground right next to each other, and both of them go into a Y as described.  The entire trunks and branches are all a light tan color with no variation.

Thanks!

 

Zac, I'm very familiar with Roseville, as I have cousins that live in Rancho Cordova and also Elk Grove, plus I lived in San Jose for 5 years myself.
Okay, by getting some more specifics, along with knowing how the NorCal weather patterns are, I think there's a possibility that you had some rolling frost coming in (sort of like how the fog comes in off the delta) and was exposed to that. If a Brug is exposed to a southerly exposure, it's more common to have this happen. It's certainly not a guarantee that happened, but it's a good possibility. Also, if the root ball was not super thick, standing water can rot away the roots - more likely if the soil is not a fast draining type.
As far as the type, I know those, which look a lot like Charles Grimaldi or Dr. Seuss, and the major suppliers up north usually use Charles. That's to your benefit, since there's plenty of those around, and also it's quite a bit more tolerant of everything than many others.
It's not a guarantee that your Brug was frozen, but I would probably say that was more likely of the two issues. I would strongly recommend planting a Brug in your climate when there's no chance of a temp dipping below 40, which means probably end of March or early April. This way, it has plenty of time to establish itself and grow plenty of roots through the summer, and the nice thing is that the Sac area tends to be relatively warm till even November, so there should be a nice stretch of time where you will be able to grow it out then cut it back for late fall, store some cuttings, then mulch over the crown during the time when there's a chance of frost, and I would bet that it would come back nice every year. You probably will have to treat it more like roses, and keep it cut back hard every year, expecting it's growth to come from the ground rather than from overwintered exposed branches.

Good luck!
RJ

I think you're right about the frost or cold being the culprit. Even the main trunks are peeling back now, and there is a small air pocket underneath the bark all the way to the crown. I went ahead and cut everything back to the crown, and covered it with mulch as you recommended. Hopefully it's not too late! I may have to dig it out and raise it a little, as it seems to have sunk a little farther than I planned when initially planting it. Right now I have it cut back to the crown, about half an inch below the surrounding dirt. I might also try regrading around it as well to bring the crownl up flush if that would be high enough. Do I have to do anything to wake it up in the Spring? Thanks for your help. Zac.

At this point, I would just recommend that you don't move it. Truthfully, Brugs are more sensitive in the root area when there's no upper plant left to grow, and they will expend all their new growth energies in roots till they can push up a new sucker near the soil line. As far as your plant sinking, that's probably a good thing, because if there was any trunk that sunk below the soil level, it probably didn't get burned from frost, and it will send up new shoots from any trunk that was below the soil level. Try to keep it more on the dry side without being bone dry. Also, I might even just put another inch of mulch over the whole thing then cut it back to the point where there's no more mushy trunk.
Brugs will go somewhat dormant, but they will grow below the soil level as long as it's above 40 degrees or so, which I'm sure your soil is warmer than that. You might just cover the pruned trunk area with a little black filter groundcloth, which is the barrier that keeps weeds from sprouting. Keep a regular check on the soil, and try to create the warmest situation for it, and you may just see a rebound. Brugs, when given a chance (and they have roots) are pretty durable plants.

You could add Vitamin B-1 to the soil when watering, which will help invigorate new root growth, but avoid any fertilizers until you see good above ground growth.

Sounds good. Thanks again. If it comes back I'll post some photos!