Brunfelsia americana
Brunfelsia americana
Safety & Hazards
Although providing many well-known foods for people, including the potato, tomato, pepper and aubergine, most plants in the family Solanaceae also contain poisonous alkaloids. Unless there are specific entries with information on edible uses, it would be unwise to ingest any part of this plant[PFAF]. In the island of Dominica, the plant is called empoisonneur and is employed as a poison by the Island Caribs[1].
Cultivation Details
Grows best in a position with partial shade - when growing in full sun the foliage may scorch and drop[2]. Prefers a loamy, fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil[2]. Many species in this genus grow wild in alkaline soils and, in non-alkaline soils, all members of the genus can benefit from the addition of some ground limestone[2].
Propagation
Seed - it has a short period of viability and does not tolerate dessication. Sown fresh, it germinates within 2 - 4 weeks[3]. Layering[3]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-19. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Brunfelsia+americana>
Pollinators
Insects
References
- [1]Botanical Museum Leaflets Vol 25 — Botanical Museum; Massachusetts. · 1977 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org ↩︎Contains an article on medicinal and poisonous plants in the Amazon. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
- [2]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
- [3]A Revision of the South American Species of Brunfelsia (Solanaceae) — Plowman T.C. · Field Museum of Natural History; Chicago. · 1998 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org · ISBN 0015-0746 ↩︎A botanical journal, this edition is devoted entirely to the revision of the genus Brunfelsia in S. America. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
- [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎