Find Your Ask the Expert: Unknown flowering plant
Datura Stramonium
Can someone please identify this flowering plant. Giovanni
Plant Expert Reply:
The plant you have is a Datura stramonium. It is sometimes referred to as a thornapple, Devil’s Apple. Jamestown-weed. Jimson-weed. Stinkweed. Devil’s Trumpet. Apple of Peru. A native of tropical America, it can be found throughout the world, except the colder or Arctic regions. In North America, it blooms May Through October. I assume in Bermuda (where you live), the flowering season is extended.
This beautiful flower is considered a weed in many areas because of the rank odor it produces. The smell is not the only undesirable quality of this plant. Although this plant has been used as a medicinal herb ( as an antispasmodic, anodyne and narcotic), the alkaloids produces in this plant can be highly toxic.
All parts of the plant are poisonious. Wash hands after handling the plant and do not rub eyes, nose or mouth until hand have been washed. Don’t let children or pets ingest this plant.
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Thank you for identifying the plant in question. I planted its seeds in July and the first blooms appeared late September. Ever since it has continually been shooting out blooms, even now. Yes, Bermudas climate has helped in this regard. However, the flower/plant does not produce any kind of rank odour as you mentioned. Even placing the flower right up to ones nose there is no unpleasant odour. Not sure if this is due to Bermudas weather/soil or could it be a hybrid? Either way it is a beautiful flower and again appreciate the help. Giovanni.
i had one of these in england i saw it and fell in love with its beauty it was in a pot and as i didnt have a garden at the it stayed in the pot it aventually died i cant ever remember it having that much of a bad odour i now have a garden and would love its colour and beauty in my garden but i have pets and kids would it be wise to just leave alown ?????
I would not use this plant if your pets like to chew on plants.
Its only God knows why we havent died yet. I live in Jamaica, and me and my son have been playing with this plant, picking the seeds, smelling it, replanting them, and all that good stuff….thank God for google and Wikipedia, i will surely be more mindful of the stuff in my garden from now on. Especially since i have an extensive garden and i live in the tropics so all plants bloom year round….Thank you for this information!!
Except it is not d. stramonium, but d. meteloides.