PlantFiles: Devil's Trumpet, Jimsonweed, Common Thorn-apple
Datura stramonium

Zone 7A/7B right on t/line. I grow DATURA STRAMONIUM, which grows wild around here. This has to be one of my favorites to grow.
Pests can be annoying ... Leafhoppers, & the Hornworm. I've had plants grow 1 to 5 ft. tall & just as wide if not wider, depending on which ones I pick to takecare of.
(I have hundreds that pop up each year & choose the one's that'll be babied).
The flowers are white w/a little bit of purple in t/throat & is very fragrant . Blooms early evening. Seed pods are very SPIKEY. Self seeds with no problems. This plant is an awesome site to see when she's in full bloom!
She's very HARDY, weather it be frost or several hundred seedlings
popping up after useing weed killer....a week later. I've had a 1ft. plant give several seed pods & t/seeds were viable. An amazing specimen to grow!

I DO NOT SUGGEST THIS PLANT BE USED FOR- Medicinal Purposes. (She's very DEADLY!!)
But at t/same time is Hypnoctic!
A very interesting plant, to be Respected.

Easy to grow from seed. The flowers are gorgeous and smell heavenly.

I'm going to overwinter indoors since it's a bit too cold for her in zone 4. :-) She's so gorgeous that she's worth the basement space. :-D

I grew Angel's trumpet (that is what it was marked at the nursery) for the first time last year. My plants were exactly as the picture by pdwren in this forum. I made sure to sprinkle the seed around before I cut the plants down and they have reseeded proliferatively. The plant was virtually carefree except for occasional deadheading. These plants are not commonly grown in this area, but they grew very well and actually became like small shrubs, filling in the background of my flower beds. I liked the fact that the flowers stayed open in the evening. Very beautiful specimen.

In my garden, it is just another invasive weed that needs dealing with. I burn my vegetable patch every Fall to try and get rid of as many seeds as possible, but still have untold numbers germinate.

We love the Jimsonweed, It is wonderful watching the flowers unfold in the evening and the scent is truly lovely. Some years they are larger and stronger than other years, but we allways look forward to them for their beauty.

I live in Denmark, Europe, and I had the plant outside all summer. I didn´t think I could have it outside in the wintertime, but I´ll try that next year. I got alot of seeds, so if it dies it´s ok. Usually we have to take both Datura and Brugmansia inside, cut them down and take them out the next year.

smoking the flowers [in small amounts-2-4 puffs]works better than my asthma inhaler-and calms you down too--

It grows spontaneously in every place with some fertile soil. Within one month you can go from bare earth to ground covered with this plant, and blooming! Extremely invasive, but I would let some of those grow in my garden, even if so, since I find the flowers very beautiful. I can dig some plants later; I need exercise anyway.

I and some neighbors grew D. stramonium in Saskatoon, Canada where temperatures were as low as -45°F. And it seeded itself the next year. I also saw low growing Datura, as a roadside weed, in Lhasa, Tibet.

Be careful when planting this flower when you have children because if they happen to ingest it they will hallucinate for a few days. It may even kill them. My brother almost died because of this plant and he is still at the hospital. There have been many cases of teenagers eating this plant and dying so I highly suggest you do not plant this flower.

Datura stramonium may also be known as Jamestown weed, stinkweed, Thorn Apple, or Apple of Peru. Plants are branching and grow 3-6 feet tall. Large green leaves are hairy and have irregular, toothed margins, similar in shape to an oak leaf. The trumpet-shaped flowers are 3-4 four inches long, white or sometimes lavender. They open at night facing upwards attracting moths and insects for pollination. The fruit are spiny and stand erect in the axils of the branches. Jimson weed re-seeds heavily and is listed as a noxious weed in several states.

Datura stramonium var. tatula has pale lavender flowers and a deeper purple throat. Stems have purplish coloring. D. stamonium var. tatula form bernhardii – has deeper purple coloring.

Datura stramonium form labilis - is similar but has both spiny and smooth fruit on the same plant.

Datura stramonium var. inermis has smooth fruit.

There are 8 species in this genus, either annuals or short lived perennials. They grow to about 6' and gets flowers that are 3" long and shaped like a trumpet. Flowers in mid summer to autumn. Best cultivated in full sun with moist but well drained, rich soil. This plant is poisonous. Propagate from seed. The stramonium species is hardy zones 7-11.