Datura Question

Hi Everyone,
Last year I started raising Brugs and Daturas after a neighbor gave me one and I became addicted.I think they are sooooo beautiful. I started the seeds for the Datura in the house last winter and then put the seedlings out in my new greenhouse the end of Feb. They started flowering and filled the GH with their beautiful scent. My white Metel Mix and Lilac LeFleur formed nice seed pods and I have been collecting seeds from them. The problem is that my Dbl. Purple, Dbl. Golden Queen, Dbl. Blackcurrent Swirl and Ballerin Mix are not forming those nice prickly seed pods.The stem that holds the flower on these is drying up and falling off when the flower dies.They are now all planted outside thanks to my husband (he loves them too) but the same thing is happening. Can you tell me if the Doubles are supposed to have those prickly seed pods too or is it only the singles that form them. I was hoping to have seeds from all of them to trade so any help will be appreciated.

Hi snowhermit..what a nice collection of Daturas you have there. Last year, I grew 4...LeFleur Lilac and the single purple both formed those prickly seed pods. The single white and Black Currant Swirl formed round bumpy seedpods, not prickly at all. When these round bumpy seedpods were ripe, they just crumbled apart instead of spliting open like the others. Sorry, I do not know why the stems are drying up...could it be too much moisture?

Jean

My double purple formed the lumpy seed pod too

I do think I saw a lumpy pod on one of the dbl purples. I will watch for them. Most of the pods are drying up with the flower and falling off when the flower falls off. Maybe I should take the flower off when it starts to dry up and hopefully that might give the pod a chance to form. Thank you for your help

Datura metel type hybrids, egads...okay fellows, you are growing the wrong species if you want thorns. Datura Ferox has the most unusual seed pod/thorns if you really like the Datura. I personally can't stand them. The Double Brugmansia in pink and orange are much prettier and much more fragrant in my oppinion. You might be able to get a double in the Datura genus with long thorns though if you made a few crosses to the leichhardtii species with the metel and crossed the leichhardtii to the ferox as well. Take the resulting crosses, leichhardtii x ferox and leichhardtii x metel and cross those together a few times and you might get what you are after if you have patience.
hope this helps,
Brugmansia

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Snowhermit-to try to answer your Datura question, I have a triple yellow Datura that only began to flower late last fall. I over-wintered it in the garage. this year it has bloomed profusely and the first few seedpods fell off, but subsequent ones are setting the large prickly pods and they are growing even larger. I also have a triple purple that has not bloomed yet but has buds. Hope it sets pods. I also have a Torna Loco that had set smooth egg-like green pods. Just give it time.

I have to ask---what's a Torna Loco?

Is Torna Loco another name for Datura ceratocaula? That species has a smooth seed pod without bumps or spines. Getting caught up in the Datura matrix, best to stick to the Brugmansia as I know a little about them. For now, I will leave the Datura questions and answers to the Datura growers and hybridizers.
List of Datura species--
D.stramonium
D. quercifolia
D. ferox
D. leichhardtii
D. discolor
D. ceratocaula
D. wrightii
D. metel
D. inoxia
----of course many of the datura species can be hybridized to one another so when dealing with a hybrid traits can vary.
Brugmansia species
B.aurea
B. versicolor
B. suaveolens
----all 3 of the above species can be hybridized to each other in any combination
---Brugmansia species continued----
B. arborea
B. sanguinea
B. vulcanicola
----all three of the above species of Brugmansia can be hybridized to each other and in any combination.
B. candida = B. aurea x B. versicolor hybrid
B. insignis = B. suaveolens x versicolor x suaveolens
B. flava = B. sanguinea x B. arborea
Mehrfachhybriden= B. aurea x B. suaveolens x B. versicolor
Examples of this last hybrid are the Solid Gold, Dr.Sues, Sunray, etc
Sincerely,
Brugmansia



This message was edited Wednesday, Jun 20th 10:45 AM

Yes, the Torna Loco is the ceratocaula. It is an odd, very unusual plant. It has a thick, reddish brown stem that is very succulent and curves along the ground snake-like. The leaves are sparse and somewhat oak leaf shaped. The flowers are large, white, with purple stripes in the throat and lavender edges. It is fragrant and the seed pods are egg-shaped and dark green. I wouldn't exactly call it a "pretty" plant, but it is very interesting.

Thanks everyone for the advice. I guess I will just have to be patient.After seeing the pictures here of the Brugmansias I might have to think twice about Datura growing.Brugmansia, the thought of a Dbl Pink and Dbl orange is just too tempting.If anyone knows of a good online greenhouse that sells Brugs please let me know. The greenhouses around my area in NH haven't even heard of Datura or Brugmansia so I know I won't find any around here.It sure would be nice to see one of those Brugs growing in my yard with all those beautiful flowers hanging on it.I ordered one Brug last year from a catalog and it wasn't in the best of shape when it got here so needless to say it did'nt make it.

This message was edited Wednesday, Jun 20th 11:04 PM