Accession Count: 1
Common Name:
sacred datura
Family Name:
Solanaceae
Botanical Name:
Datura wrightii
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
Datura wrightii is a perennial flowering plant, and a member of the nightshade family that is native to the United States and northern Mexico. It is a low-growing, sprawling, herbaceous plant characterized by large, deltoid, dark-green, velvety leaves on purplish, hairy stems (1). The leaves are five inches in length by four inches in width.The odor of the foliage is disagreeable to most (2). The plant produces showy, white, tubular flowers measuring up to eight inches long and five inches in width (1,3). Some plants
may have flowers that are purple tinged (5). The corollas have long, narrow, wispy tips where the lobes join (1). The flowers of the sacred datura are fragrant and open in the evening, and generally pollinated by sphinx moths (4). Flowers give way to spiny, spherical capsules that measure about two inches in diameter and contain light brown seeds (1).
Compound:
Dat wri
Geographic Origin:
Desert Southwest
Ecozone Origin:
Biome Origin:
Natural History:
Sacred datura is generally considered a weedy species. In some areas, local laws prevent its sale or cultivation (5). It thrives in disturbed areas along roads and ditches and in sandy washes from 1000 to 6000 feet in elevation (3,4). Although it can be found growing in many states, it is most common in the Desert Southwest, extending eastward from California and northern Mexico to Texas (2). Linnaeus gave the genus its name, although its etymology is uncertain (6). The specific epithet was given by Eduard Regel in 1859 in honor of Charles Wright, a botanical collector (2,6). The common name jimsonweed reportedly comes from a different species of Datura that was referred to as “Jamestown weed” because it was said to have poisoned some soldiers in Jamestown Colony in 1676 (6).
Cultivation Notes:
Datura wrightii is a low-requirement plant that can be easily grown in Southwest gardens (3). It can be propagated from seed and does well in most soils (2). It grows best in locations with full sunlight. Summer waterings, mimicking monsoon storms, will encourage growth (5). Every winter, D. wrightii will die to the ground, and grow back in spring. Because sacred datura is a sprawling, rambling plant, it should be given enough room for it to spread (3). It should be kept away from children and pets, however, because all parts of the plant are toxic and can be fatal if consumed (1,2,3,4,5,6).
Ethnobotany:
In its tissues, Datura wrightii produces toxic alkaloids that can be fatal if ingested by humans or animals (1,2,56). Seeds are hallucinogenic and can also be lethal (1,5). The sap can cause irritation if it comes in contact with the skin (1). Because of its narcotic and hallucinogenic effects, the plant was used in religious ceremonies of southwestern Native Americans (2). Aztecs and other native peoples employed the plant for its healing properties (2).
Height:
0 - 5 feet
Width:
6 - 10 feet
Growth Rate:
Moderate Growing
Grow Season:
Summer
Flower Season:
Spring
Color:
White
Function:
Accent
Spread:
Spreading
Allergen:
Non-allergenic
Invasive:
Benign
Toxicity:
Toxic
Hardy:
Hardy
Water Use:
Low water Use
Citations:
1.
The Firefly Forest. Accessed November 29,
2016.
7. Mielke, Judy. Native Plants for Southwestern Landscapes. University of Texas Press, 1993.
