SACRED DATURA - A MYSTERIOUS BEAUTY

Frequently encountered all over Arizona is the Sacred Datura, scientific name Datura wrightii.  In RillitoBend, it is seen in private gardens, on roadsides, and in Summer 2022, in the Rancho Morado Rain Garden.

​Datura wrightii in private garden, 2022 monsoon season, single plant
Photo by Melanie Campbell-Carter

---

This fascinating perennial belongs to the Solanaceae family, along with tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplant.  Other common names for the Datura include:  Jimson weed, thorn-apple, moon lily, and angel’s trumpet.  Much like the potato, the Datura has a fleshy, tuberous root which sprouts when the soil warms.  Unlike the potato, Datura is relatively easy to grow from seed.

​Datura wrightii, private garden, 2022
Photo by Melanie Campbell-Carter

---

Datura is a night bloomer, pollinated by nocturnal moths and occasionally, bats.  A single blossom may have up to one ounce of nectar at its base, which at dusk perfumes a wide area to attract its pollinators.  The primary pollinators are the sphinx or hawk moths, which are often mistaken for a hummingbird at dusk.  Some of these large moths are about the same size as a hummingbird, making a soft whirring noise with their wings as they hover at each newly opened bloom.

Hawkmoth (Hyles lineata) at Sacred Datura (Datura wrightii) flower
Photo by Mike Lewinski, Tres Piedras, NM 
Courtesy of https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0]

---

Native Range of Sacred Datura (D. wrightii)
Courtesy of US Dept of Agriculture, https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=DAWR2
© 2014 Esri | USDA-NRCS-NGCE & NPDT
​​

---

​The name Sacred Datura refers to the hallucinogenic effects of the plant when consumed by indigenous holy people and ceremony participants.   All parts of the plant are toxic, and potentially fatal when consumed.  Deliberate ingestion by non-human creatures is rare, since all but the flower itself is bad-smelling and bitter-tasting.  However, humans seeking a mind-altering experience can inflict permanent damage to lungs, GI tract, kidneys, or the heart; mental impairment may be permanent; and death is not an uncommon outcome.  The Sacred Datura has many other ethnobotanical uses among North American indigenous peoples.

• The word Datura is an ancient Hindu word. 
• Wrightii honors Charles Wright (1811-1885), an American botanical collector. 
• Jimson weed is thought to refer to a related species in the eastern US near Jamestown, Virginia – and the name of Jamestown gradually altered to ‘Jimson’.  Early colonists were reported to exhibit strange behavior and illness after consuming the plant when other foods were unavailable.
• The Solanaceae family is interchangeably called the Nightshade family, possibly because many of its members bloom at night, grow underground, or thrive in shady locations.

---

Gardeners handling the Sacred Datura will be safe from the plant toxins by wearing gloves, washing hands with soap and water, and cleaning their tools after use.  Seeds can be collected from dried seed pods in the fall, and planted in the spring.  Go to this link for details on propagation.

Maturing Seed Pod on Datura wrightii, private garden 2022
Photo by Melanie Campbell-Carter
​

Datura discolor, showing purple streaks in throat of open flowers. Rio Vista Natural Resource Park, 2022
Photo by Melanie Campbell-Carter

In RillitoBend, we have two species of Datura commonly seen in spring and summer after rainy periods:  Datura wrightii and Datura discolor.  To tell them apart, examine the flower or the seed pods.  D wrightii  has a pure white throat and pale lavender edges, is somewhat larger overall, and the seed pod has shorter spines.  D discolor has purple streaks in the white throat of the flower, is somewhat smaller, and the seed pod has long spines, often > 1 cm.  Datura discolor is the predominant Datura species in Rio Vista Natural Resource Park.

One-year-old Datura wrightii, west side of Cactus Blvd, during the monsoon 2022
Photo by Melanie Campbell-Carter

Sonoran Moonglow
22" X 16", acrylic on paper
© 2021, Melanie Campbell-Carter
​Photo by Prull Photography

Sacred Datura article sources and photo credits:​

Read More