Angel Trumpet

Angel Trumpets (Datura wrightii) have been blooming locally since late spring and if they are watered during dry periods, they will continue to bloom through the fall. The hugh white blooms open in the evening and are visible in the early morning until the sun rises in the sky. The trumpet shaped flowers are about 4 inches across at the “mouth” and about 6 inches long. Each flower lasts only one day.

Deer do not bother Datura. It is blooming in the ground at my house and I have one blooming in a pot in the deer accessible location. The plant can get to 3 to 6 feet tall and 3 to 6 feet wide, but will start blooming when one foot tall. Those plants that have a little shade and are located on flat ground seem to grow big faster. They do need sun, but appreciate some shade.

There are many common names for Datura wrightii: Jimson Weed, Thorn-apple, Sacred Datura, Hell’s Bells, and Angel Trumpet. The “Thorn-apple” name probably comes from the spiky 1 inch in diameter seed that forms after the flower is pollinated. I save seed to be certain I keep the plant in my garden. Datura is a short lived perennial. I had one plant last for about 5 years and then it suddenly died. They do die back in the winter and often reappear the following season. Volunteer plants can come up from seeds that were left on the plant.

As a native plant it does not need any attention other than water during dry spells. It is poisonous.

The Wildflower center says: “Extracts from this plant and its relatives are narcotic and, if ingested, potentially lethal. The narcotic properties of species have been known since before recorded history.

They once figured importantly in religious ceremonies of southwestern Indians.”

Perhaps with proper precautions, you might like to try an Angel Trumpet in your garden.

Written by Jackie Mattice, Hays County Master Naturalist