datura qustions

Hello everyone. I am in zone 6 (I call it 6b because I'm 2.3 miles from being in 6b instead of 6a)

I am planting a bed of Daturas this year. Has anyone in my zone done this? My plan is to do them as a annual. I am wondering if they will be a self-seeding annual in my zone. I will collect seeds from each one to be safe but would love it if they would be self seeding. I have 10 differant kinds that I am starting from seed right now to plant in my bed. They are:
1. La Fleur
2. Triple Yellow
3. Double Yellow
4. Purple Petticoat
5. Black Currant Swirl
6. White
7. Double White
8. Triple Cream
9. Belle Blanche
10. Triple Purple
Also, can anyone tell me how far a part I should plant them? I dont know how big they will get in my zone.
Any help anyone can give would be appreciated!

wow sounds gorgeous!

datura grows wild here, in places that have a seep-type water supply and partial shade, or in full sun if they have a more regular water source. i have seen them mainly at entrances to small caves or in runoff ditches along the road. i have seen them about 4 ft tall and maybe half as wide. i have no idea how big they get in a non-desert environment or garden, but we are zone 5 and like i said they are wild so they obviously self-seeded, so i bet yours will too.

i am also trying out the black currant swirl - couldn't resist - so i hope it survives my sun!

With lots of food and water, at least 6 feet tall on your metels. They probably will reseed themselves, but considering each pod produces almost 100 seeds each & your La Fleur even more, I strongly urge you to cut off the majority of the pods and only leave a few to ripen. It's actually better for the plant to deadhead the first 2 months anyway since it takes a lot of the plants energy to grow pods and adversely affects the quality of the plant.

I believe its Datura stramonium that Cerridwenn is talking about.

As you probably know (but I'll repeat for those reading who are new to datura), when pruning or cutting ANY datura as well as harvesting seeds, make it a point to wash your hands thoroughly afterward and do not touch your face, eat anything or touch children or pets until you do. All parts of the plant produces scopolamine, atropine and hyoscyamine which can be life threatening to small animals and children.

Forgot to add that I grow them as close as a foot apart in blazing hot sun.

X



This message was edited Apr 23, 2010 6:54 PM

Hey you have all those going save me a few seeds of the unusal ones This is my first yr growing these

Hey, I have a question. I live in Tx. and should I cut te stalk down to 6" or jut leave until next year? The frost has gotten most of the leaves but the pods are still green. Should I pick the pods now or wait until they open? Thanks alday

i would wait until they dry then pick them. if you wait till they open the seeds will be gone i think

No I let them crack open on the plant seeds are there in a ball you might loose 1-3 seed but at least you know there ready

ok

Dixie--

Your Datura seed pods will not start ripening and splitting open until late fall.
That is--IF you germinated them and planted them, and at he correct time.
They take a bit longer to germinate--so start them at least late March.

Late October--start checking every other day to see if any of the seeds have split.
If so--remove them.
When you see a pod splitting open, CUT it off asap. If you wait too long--the seed
pods may really open up and may scatter seeds down to the bed.

When the pods split--cut (DO NOT pull--it will fall apart in your hand!) the pod away
from the plant--remove all the seeds and lay them on a paper plate to dry.
"X"--I have to correct you--because I counted------Each seed pod will have in excess
of 200 seeds in it. The one I counted (average size pod) had 250 seeds.

Next---GO and scrub your hands clean to get all the potential toxins off.

In about 4-5 days --the seeds will be dry. Scrape them off of the paper/plastic plate
and store in a dry envelope. From what I have read--Datura seeds are viable for
years! They CAN self-seed--but I have never allowed seeds to drop--so I cannot vouch for this...

Gita

Well I knew they produced a humongous amount of seeds and 100 sounded like a good scary number .. the stramoniums are worse for sure.

yup i passed on these this year pretty flower no scent!

My purple and yellow Daturas do not have a scent either...

It is the white, rambling ones that are sweet-scented.
They come back easily every year too. I have never grown those....

Gita

My purple datura is beautiful, but the white part is not really pure white. It has sort of an off-white, brownish tint. Is that normal? Is there an additive I could use to get "white?"

sybram---

I have seen mine evolve over the years. From pristine purple and white--to deep purple,
more furled and a bit yellowish where the white should be.
I always just called it a "Double Purple Wwhite Datura" in the early years,

I became SO much more double-ruffled that it was re-ID'd as a "Black Currant Swirl".
The giveaway? The stems were black. I always grow them from seed--so I do not know
why it has so evolved???

I will try to post a few different shots of my Datura. From earlier--to later.
Hope you will see the differences.
I KNOW that over the years I have seen the white look a bit "dirty"--but I guess I would not have
taken a photo of it.

Maybe the weather, the soil, the heat ot cold have an effect on the colors.
Here are a few shots over the years....

1--taken Aug. 19--2005
2--taken July 7--2006
3--??
4--August- 2010

Gita

Thanks Gita. Mine have black stems, too, and definitely look like your #3 pic. After they look dirty, do they ever go back to pure white? I'm in triple digit Texas, so waiting for a coolish summer is pure "pie in the sky."

sybbram---

Collect the seeds and sow them next year. Who knows what will grow out....

BTW--The seed 'apples" do not really mature until October (here. It is an annual in our zone.
Do not pick them before they split open. Check every other day.
Once they split--if you do not harvest them--they may open up and spill all their seeds.

***DO NOT try to pull the seed pods off the plant!!!! Their outer cover is soft and pithy.
Take scissors, or a knife, and cut them off. Let them dry and then collect the seeds.

You DO know that all parts of the datura and also Brugmansia are toxic if ingested.
Be careful--and wash your hands after handling these plants and seeds...

Good luck! Gita

Yes, I've collected the seeds many times, but I did not know datura was a poisonous plant. Thanks for the heads up.

Symbran---

Daturas--Morning Glories--Brugmansias--Cardinal Climbers---Moonflowers--etc...are ALL in the
Nightshade family of plants. There are many more. Google it! Funny--so are Tomatoes.....:o).

Foxgloves---of all kinds, are BAAAD if you ingest them. As well as many other plants I cannot think of right now.
PLEASE be familiar--Google toxic plants--and take care. No biggie! Wash your hands or wear gloves.

Watch your pets! Just be alert to what "may"happen....

Just want to say that, before I knew all this--I handled all these plants with NO particular care! Lucky me!

Like--DO NOT rub your eyes--Lick your fingers--touch food stuff after handling these plants...
Do not inhale the seeds of Foxgloves--they are like dust!

I tend to look at all this as a bit of "scare tactics"....but you DO need to be aware of the dangers....

Gita

My daughter loves the White Moonflower i.e Datura metel. She don't save the seeds so they drop where the plant grows and sprout the following spring. I used to grow them but no garden room for them.

Many gardeners don't realize that these plants do not come true from seed. To save seeds of a particular variety, grow only that one because they cross pollinate so easily.