Brugmansia Snowbank? Or is it Maya?

[MartinNicklin]

I’ve always liked the look of this based on images I have seen, with its lovely wide white borders on the leaves. Unfortunately it did not seem to be available in the UK, not even on EBay from where you can obtain some unusual types.

So I was amazed to see it advertised at Urban Jungle and I bought a plant. When it arrived it had no leaves, just buds. It now looks very healthy but I’m wondering if it is indeed Snowbank. It looks suspiciously like a variety I grew in the past called Maya with its much narrower and less impressive variegation. UJ also describe its flower as pink or apricot whereas I understood the flowers on Snowbank to be white or possibly white with a hint of cream, but that all depends on which site you read.

Does anyone grow Snowbank or Maya and is anyone able to confirm my suspicions?

[Chad]

You have a never ending store of nomenclatural nightmares Martin!

'Maya' [AKA, wrongly, as 'Sunset'] is diploid, and 'Snowbank' is its tetraploid tissue culture derivative from TerraNova.

'Maya', originally under the previously used, and therefore invalid name 'Sunset', was itself a variegated sport from ‘Charles Grimaldi’.

So they are similar, but 'Snowbank' is more robust and has, on average, a wider variegation.

But, the width of variegation is partially cultural and you need the plant to have settled down before you make judgement on the degree of variegation.

For example, look here for a widely variegated 'Maya'.

'Snowbank' was plant patented in 2002 and that expired in 2023. The patent note on 'color' says;

Color.—When opening the flower is yellow, Yellow 12B to C. When first open it is cream, Yellow 12D. When mature it is light peach, Orange 24D with a cream base, Yellow 12D.

Chad

[MartinNicklin]

Thank you Chad. I’ll just put that lot into Google translate and get back to you! ;)

No, seriously, that’s a very useful response and I will certainly give it more time to see what happens with the variegation. At the moment it is nothing to write home about. It was more the description of the flowers which set my alarm bells ringing.

Many thanks for your, as usual, very learned and informed response.