Will the real Datura please stand up? —in bloom, anyway! While flowers of Brugmansia species are pendent, those of Datura are held upright—to the night-flying moths that pollinate them. Datura is a beautiful and fragrant annual vine with trumpet-shaped flowers. It is not widely available as a bedding plant so if you want to grow it you have to start it from seed.

Both Brugmansia and Datura are members of the Solanaceae (more commonly known as the nightshade or potato) family of plants. The Solanaceae family also includes belladonna, capsicum (used to make paprika and chili pepper), eggplant, jimsonweed, mandrake, petunia, potato, tobacco, and tomato plants.

                                            Datura Black Currant Swirl                                    Brugmansia  Summer Sunrise

Brugmansia: grows along the Andean and Pacific fringe of the South America continent from Colombia to Peru and Chile. All species of the genus are native to South America.
 

Datura: is native to India, that produces trumpet-shaped flowers. Datura comes in a variety of species, usually defined by the shape and color of their flowers and may return year after year if left in the ground. Datura seeds tolerate freezing well. In fact, this actually tends to increase their germination rate and speed significantly. Depending on the variety, datura may reach as high as 6 feet and bush out almost the same distance; take this into consideration when deciding where to plant.

Magical, Shamanic and Curative Uses for Datura

The numerous species of Datura have rounded fruit with spine-like protrusions, which give them one of their common names: thorn apple. All contain deadly poisons called alkaloids. Hundreds of years ago, Europeans used Datura stramonium in magic potions for its anaesthetic, narcotic and hypnotic properties. In large doses, it is hallucinogenic. This well explains a second common name: devil's trumpet. Similar uses by Inca priests have been documented, and historians even suspect Datura played a role in the Oracle at Delphi. In China, too, its dangers were known; there, the plant's mixture with wine was prohibited by law.

These are A Very Dangerous Plants!    Click here for Video

Most parts of the Datura plant contain atropine, scopolamine, and hyoscyamine, alkaloid poisons having "anticholinergic" effects, i.e. they cross the blood-brain barrier and inhibit acety<<Selection in Document>>lcholine (the main neurotransmitter used by the parasympathetic nervous system). These three drugs relax muscles and glands regulated by this sytem, and thus find uses in anaesthesia and as antispasmodics. For example, scopolomine has been used in minute doses as sleeping medicine, but if overdosed can produce "delirium, delusions, paralysis, stupor and death". Symptoms likely to be produced by these drugs include urinary retention, dry mouth, throat, and skin, blurred vision, headache and nausea, dizziness, flushing, fever, euphoria, hallucinations, and short-term memory loss. Little wonder, then, that intoxication with Datura (which contains all three of these chemicals) typically produces "effects similar to that of an anticholinergic delirium": "complete inability to differentiate reality from fantasy (frank delirium, as contrasted to hallucination); hyperthermia; tachycardia [rapid heart beats]; agitation, including bizarre, inexplicable, and possibly violent behavior; and severe mydriasis (hyper-dilation of the eye pupil, due to inibition of acetylcholine function), with resultant painful photophobia that can last several days. Pronounced amnesia is another commonly-reported effect." (These materials are drawn from several Wikipedia essays.) According to the drug information site Erowid (see that link), no other substance has received as many "Train Wreck" severely-negative experience reports as has Datura, the writers noting that "the overwhelming majority of those who describe to us their use of Datura (and to a lesser extent, Belladonna, Brugmansia and Brunfelsia) find their experiences extremely mentally and physically unpleasant and not infrequently physically dangerous.

Growing Brugmansia:

Growing Datura: Many daturas are perennial but grow as annuals in areas that are not frost-free. When I harvest seed, I let the Buds dry out and turn brown. It will usually start to split open. this means it is ripe. Wear some work gloves and cut the buds off of the plant. Get a dry paper plate and cut the buds open with a sharp knife and remove the seeds . They somewhat resemble large tomato seeds. Put them in a jar and seal it or in a plastic bag and seal it and leave them in a dark, cool, dry place. Next spring, about 10 weeks before the last frost, fill a pot with good potting soil and make sure it is moist but not soggy. Sprinkle some seed lightly on the top and press into the soil. Lightly cover with another layer of soil. I use a thin layer of milled sphagnum moss on top of this to prevent damping off disease (a fungus that kills seedlings caused by high humidity and warmth). Seal the pot inside a clear plastic baggie and keep it warm 75 degrees F.
( 24 c. )
Germination takes place in a couple of weeks and once germination occurs, remove the clear, plastic bag, keep them watered but drained. After the seedlings are a couple of inches tall, prick them out gently and plant in separate pots. You'll have to keep your plants under lights during the winter. Sunlight is unreliable for most of us at that time of year. I use 40watt, 48in long flourescent shoplights suspended 6-8 inches above the pot. After the last frost, transfer the potted plants outdoors to a shady place where they will be protected from wind, rain, sun, hail, etc. for about 10 days. After that, plant them in direct sunlight.

Datura: are annuals in the Northeast/Northwest. They can return the next year if seed is left on the ground. As far as I know all species of Datura seed can tolerate freezing. In fact, it improves germination rates considerably. The various species of Datura offer a wide variety of flower sizes and plant sizes. Datura meteloides grows to about 3 feet tall but can spread to 4 feet wide. Datura metel may grow to 5 feet but is an upright plant. Datura stramonium can grow to 6 feet or more and is bushier than D. metel and has smaller leaves.

Datura: flowers are all trumpet shaped and stand upright. They tend to open in the early evening and will close the next day unless the weather is cool or cloudy, then they may stay open. Many species have a sweet scent that can be very strong. The seed pods are often spiny. Different species have different spination on the pods. All parts of the Datura plant are poison and should not be eaten.Once established, Datura plants are durable and tolerant of dry conditions. That doesn’t mean they don’t appreciate plenty of water and some fertilizer, however. The better you treat them the more vigorously they will grow and flower.

Preparing seed: Some species of Datura can be difficult to germinate. They like warm ground and adequate moisture, but even then can take up to 6 weeks. Most should germinate within 21 to 42 days. “Stratification” is when seed is frozen and then thawed to improve germination rates. Datura benefit from stratification. Even so, germination rates can be low with many species. This is normal even if it is annoying!

Planting: Datura can be sown directly in the ground or started indoors as early as Feb or March. Any head start will speed flowering, but seed planted in the ground will have plenty of time to flower. Do not give up hope if the seed seems to take forever to sprout. It will grow when it’s ready. Warmth and moisture are key. Patience is king! When the seed is warm, moist and happy it will grow, and not before. Moist does not mean wet.

Transplanting: Datura do not like to be disturbed. If you start indoors, use Jiffy pots so that you can transplant without disturbing the roots. If you don’t use Jiffy pots, transplant carefully, keeping as much soil in place around the roots as possible. Water well and keep watered until plants show continued growth.

Datura meteloides can spread generously – 4 feet is not uncommon in a sunny, fertile location. As compensation for its size, it will be covered with beautiful white flowers. When transplanting or thinning, estimate how close you think they should be, then double it. Several other species get bushy and/or rather tall under good conditions. Give them plenty of space, it’s worth it!

Sun: Datura love sun! Give them as much as you can. The less direct sun the smaller your plants will be. Just like Datura seed that can be slow to germinate, the plants can be slow to get growing.! Once they start they grow quite fast,

Pests: Insects don’t seem to bother Datura much .

Sowing: Indoors 1 to 2 months before planting out, 2-3 weeks after last frost, when temperatures remain above 45 degrees F, ( 22 c )
Spacing: 3-4 feet apart
Outdoors : Start seeds outdoors only, after no danger of frost
Depth: 1/8".
Germinating: Time - 21-42 days
Requirements: 65-70 degrees F.
Light: Sun to part light shade
Soil: Prefers rich and moist, will tolerate poor soil.

Growing in Pots/Containers:

  If  you don’t have a yard or tight on space? Container gardening works well for certain flowers, and offers the high-rise dweller both delicious and visual rewards. And container gardening isn’t as limited as you may think.

You can grow  Lettuce, Spinach, Tomatoes, Datura most can  thrive in containers. Also herbs grow very well indoors and on windowsills.

Your local  gardening centre are great sources of location and specific information for the best pots/containers and soil