Brugmansia aurea, also known as golden angel's trumpet,Brugmansia aurea Lagerh. (n.d.-b). Catalogue of Life. Retrieved May 30, 2026, from https://www.catalogueoflife.org/data/taxon/NFCPHolmes, B. (n.d.). Brugmansia aurea Lagerh. (1893:33). The Recently Extinct Plants and Animals Database. Retrieved May 30, 2026, from https://recentlyextinctspecies.com/solanales-tomatoes-potatoes-eggplants-nightshades-etc/brugmansia-aurea is a species of flowering plant in the nightshade family Solanaceae that was native to Ecuador and Colombia, but is now Extinct in the Wild. Despite being declared extinct in its native range, Brugmansia aurea is a popular ornamental and is widely cultivated, like the other members of its genus.
Description
Vegetative characteristics Brugmansia aurea is an up to 8 m tall shrub or small tree with spreading or drooping, almost smooth branches and smooth, grey bark. The leaves are glabrous or nearly glabrous. Generative characteristics The axillary, tubular, pendent, sulphur yellow to golden yellow, pleasantly fragrant, nectariferous flowers have 7–8 cm long, smooth pedicels. The tubular, 13–16 cm long calyx with a pubescent outer surface is divided into 2–5 lobes at the apex. The yellow, 15–18 cm long corolla bears five 5–6 cm long, recurved teeth.De Lorenzo Cáceres, J. M. S. (2003). Las especies del género Brugmansia cultivadas en España. Arboles Ornamentales. Retrieved May 31, 2026, from https://www.arbolesornamentales.es/Brugmansia.htm The stamens are 14.5 cm long.
Taxonomy Brugmansia aurea was published by Nils Gustaf Lagerheim in 1893.Lagerheim, N. G. (1893). Eine neue, goldgelbe Brugmansia (B. aurea Lagerh.). Gartenflora (Vol. 42, p. 33).Brugmansia aurea Lagerh. (n.d.). International Plant Names Index. Retrieved May 31, 2026, from https://www.ipni.org/n/37434-2 However, Brugmansia aurea had already been published by Harrison in 1837, making the later publication of Brugmansia aurea illegitimate.Hay, A. (2021). (2802) Proposal to conserve the name Brugmansia aurea Lagerh. against B. aurea Harrison (Solanaceae). Taxon, 70(1), 212-213. As Brugmansia aurea had been widely used, it was proposed to conserve it against Brugmansia aurea . It is placed in the section Brugmansia sect. Brugmansia.Hay, A., & Gottschalk, M. (n.d.). Arten. GdS-Fachgruppen Dahlien, Fuchsien Und Kübelpflanzen. Retrieved April 25, 2026, from https://www.ddfgg.de/brugmansien/brugmansien_arten.php Etymology The specific epithet aurea means "golden".
Distribution and habitat It was native to the Andes from south-central Ecuador to northeast Colombia at elevations of 2000–3000 m above sea level. It grew mainly in Andean cloud forests and damp ravines with a subtropical mountainous climate, characterised by high humidity, moderate temperatures and frequent fog. It has been introduced into Italy, Rwanda, France (Southern Corsica), and Spain.Giardi, L., & Fried, G. (2026) Brugmansia aurea Lagerh., a newly introduced species in Southern Corsica. Carnets botaniques Article n° 304 – 13 mai 2026
Ecology The very fragrant, trumpet-shaped flowers attract bees, butterflies, and birds.Laface, V. L. A., Musarella, C. M., Cano Ortiz, A., Quinto Canas, R., Cannavò, S., & Spampinato, G. (2020). Three New Alien Taxa for Europe and a Chorological Update on the Alien Vascular Flora of Calabria (Southern Italy). Plants, 9(9), 1181. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9091181 The flowers are pollinated by the hummingbird Ensifera ensifera. The floral tube is very often pierced by short-billed, nectar robbing hummingbirds.
Conservation No natural wild populations are known and Brugmansia aurea is now Extinct in the Wild. It is threatened by introgressive hybridisation with Brugmansia versicolor, via the hybrid Brugmansia × candida.
Cultivation
Brugmansia aurea is cultivated as an ornamental plant. Several cultivars exist, notably 'Grand Marnier' with peach-coloured flowers. As with other members of its genus, it cannot handle temperatures below , but in colder climates can be placed outside in a sheltered spot during the summer months.
Toxicity All parts of the plant are poisonous."Angel's Trumpet," The Better Homes and Gardens Plant Encyclopedia.
Uses It is used as a hallucinogen. Its most potent cultivar is Culebra Borrachero, which has a high concentration of the psychoactive scopolamine. It has also been used as a truth serum. Borrachero loosely translates to "get-you-drunk", and scopolamine is also known as Devil's Breath and burundanga.
References