Datura

Family. Solanaceae.

Where does it grow? Tropics of America, Europe and Mexico.

Description. Datura is a large herbaceous perennial, sometimes a shrub or a branched tree with large funnel-shaped flowers.

The stem may become covered with bark with age.

The leaves are large, ovoid, gray-green, up to 12 cm long, some varieties have wavy leaf edges. The leaf blades have fine pubescence, and when damaged, they often emit an unpleasant odor.

In summer, the shoots are decorated with yellow, red, pink or white large, funnel-shaped flowers with fused petals up to 20 cm in diameter. The buds open at night and fade in about a day.

The flowers can only be seen well in cloudy weather - in this case, they remain open during the day.

Currently, there are many two-color varieties, as well as varieties with double flowers of extraordinary beauty.

After the buds fade, light green round or ovoid prickly fruits are formed - seed pods - cones up to 5 cm in diameter with small thorns.

The flowering bush looks great, and some of its varieties also emit a pleasant, intoxicating aroma. However, you should not come too close to this flower and inhale this smell for a long time, since datura is very poisonous.

Height. Up to 1.5 - 2 m, and plants reach this height within one season.

Planting and care

Growing in open ground

In order to get a lushly blooming garden flower in the summer months in a harsh climate, datura is planted in open ground as seedlings.

Young seedlings that have reached a height of at least 15 cm are taken outside in May or even early June, when the threat of return night frosts has passed.

The plants are large and develop quickly, so when planting in the soil, keep a distance of about 1 meter between them.

The first buds can appear 2-4 weeks after planting.

For growing, choose a place with access to sufficient sunlight and at the same time protected from strong winds - representatives of the genus have very brittle stems, and the wind can simply cripple the plant.

A small drainage layer in the form of broken brick or crushed stone can be placed at the bottom of the planting hole - this will allow moisture to quickly penetrate deeper into the soil, without stagnating at the root system.

Unfortunately, this bush does not survive the winter in frosty climates and the only way to preserve it until next season is to take it home and plant it in a large container.

Reproduction, growing from seeds 

Datura is propagated by half-ripe stem cuttings in spring or summer.

1. In spring or summer, cuttings about 10 cm long are separated from the mother bush using a sharp sterile instrument.
2. Each cutting should consist of at least 2 - 3 internodes.
3. The lower leaf blades are removed to avoid excessive moisture loss.
4. The lower cut is made at an angle, and the base of the cutting is powdered with growth hormones.

The successful completion of the rooting process will be indicated by the appearance of new, young leaves and shoots.

You can also get datura from seeds. An interesting feature of the plant is that its seeds do not lose their viability for several decades.

1. The planting material is soaked in warm water at a temperature of about 45 - 50 °C for 24 hours.
2. Seeds are sown at temperatures around 16°C in late winter or early spring.
3. Sowing is carried out in a well-moistened mixture of peat and sand, covering with a layer of soil about 5 mm thick.
4. Seedlings are placed in a cool and bright room, but shaded from direct sunlight.
5. The crops are covered with a clear plastic cap or a simple, transparent plastic bag to maintain uniform humidity.

In fact, growing from seeds is not difficult at all and the first shoots appear within 2 - 3 weeks after sowing.

The cover is removed after the sprouts appear.

The first picking is carried out with the appearance of a pair of true leaves on each plant and the temperature is increased to 18 - 20 ° C.

You can collect the seeds yourself, choosing a fine, sunny and dry day for this procedure. It is worth remembering that fully ripened seed pods open themselves, throwing seeds into the ground, so to collect the seeds, you should first put a cap made of non-woven material on them.

Transplanting  

Decorative datura grows quite quickly and young specimens need timely replanting to increase the volume of the pot. This procedure can be carried out even several times in the first year, as the seedlings develop very quickly.

Try to replant from the moment new leaves appear until the start of the active growth phase.

For large adult bushes, simply replace the top part of the soil with fresh soil.

Datura does not like replanting and suffers for a long time if the root system is damaged, so instead of replanting, they use transshipment, transferring the plants to a new container together with the old lump of earth, without destroying it.

1. The growing pot should have large drainage holes.
2. The plant is placed in its center and sprinkled around the perimeter with fresh soil.
3. After planting, the soil is thoroughly compacted to remove air pockets.
4. The seedlings are watered generously until the soil ball is completely saturated, and any excess moisture that appears in the tray after watering is drained.
5. If after moistening the soil has subsided significantly, then, if necessary, add a small amount of the mixture.

Flowering time 

It blooms for a long time - from March to November.

Timely pinching of fading flowers will stimulate the plant to form new buds and datura will be able to bloom continuously.

In open ground, flowering can only be interrupted by frost.

Temperature​

In the spring-autumn period, normal room temperature is suitable. In the winter dormant period, it is advisable to place it in a cooler place with a temperature of about 10 - 12 ° C.

The bush does not tolerate frost and can suffer even when the temperature drops to 6 - 8 ° C.

Summer heat is not at all scary for representatives of this genus - they will develop and bloom perfectly in the summer months.

About lighting

Choose a very well-lit place for planting, while avoiding direct sunlight on the shoots and leaves during daylight hours.

In winter, when the flower slows down its development and goes into hibernation, it can be moved to partial shade, but in spring, with the appearance of the first signs of new growth, return to a brightly lit place.

Home care, pruning

Despite the fact that Datura is a very strong and hardy genus, it also requires compliance with certain rules of cultivation - agricultural technology.

Regular pinching of shoots will make the bush thicker, as this will promote the formation of lateral branches.

Plants that are pruned in a timely manner also form a larger number of buds, since they appear on new, young growths. After flowering, lateral shoots are cut by two-thirds of their length.

Branches can lose some leaves in winter, but they can be easily restored in the spring.

In the warm season, take the pot outside, placing it in a place protected from bright midday rays, as well as strong wind and rain.

Do not place the pot in passages and corridors - leaves and stems are easily damaged by touch, and, in addition, they contain very poisonous juice.

Tall shoots may require support for growth.

Soil 

Nutritious, loose and well-drained soil. The soil for planting should have a neutral or slightly alkaline pH. 

You can add a small amount of lime or wood ash to the substrate, which will also serve as an excellent fertilizer. 

Diseases and pests 

• Sudden temperature changes and exposure to cold drafts will most likely cause leaves to fall.
• If the soil moisture is insufficient, the leaves wilt and lose turgor.
• If there is a lack of moisture during the period of budding and flowering, it results in the dropping of unopened buds.
• Without pruning, the shoots lose their lower leaves and as a result become not very attractive.
• If you keep the flowers at normal room temperature throughout the year, the datura will continue to develop in the winter months, and in conditions of lack of light the bush will become loose and elongated.
• Gray mold occurs when grown in a cool, very humid area and appears as a fluffy gray coating on the leaves and stems.
• If the buds do not open, then perhaps this specimen does not have enough nutrients to bloom.

The plant is rarely attacked by insect pests; whiteflies and red spider mites may appear only occasionally. When grown in the garden, it may be a favorite of wireworms.

Fertilizer

Feed every week during the period of active growth. Datura develops literally before our eyes and, accordingly, will require a large amount of nutrients.

For spring feeding, it is worth using fertilizers with a high nitrogen content, and closer to summer, switch to feeding with phosphorus fertilizers to stimulate long and abundant flowering.

Fertilizer is added to well-moistened soil to protect the root system from contact with an overly concentrated solution.

Flowers respond positively to both mineral and organic fertilizers.

Fertilizers are not needed in winter - they are stopped and resumed only in the spring, when young leaves and shoots appear.

Watering

Keep the soil moist all year round, but reduce the frequency of watering slightly in the cold season. Do not allow the soil to dry out, but excess water in the fall and winter can lead to rotting.

The bush likes well-moistened soil in the warm season, when it is actively developing and blooming.

For watering, you can use tap water without preliminary purification and settling. The moisture should be at room temperature.

It is believed that watering with hard water stimulates the formation of a large number of buds.

In the winter months, when the plant goes into a dormant state and is kept in a cool room, the frequency of watering is significantly reduced and simply protects the soil from drying out completely. Slightly drooping leaf blades will indicate the need for regular watering.

Spraying

Spray periodically with water at room temperature. Carry out spraying in the morning so that the moisture has time to evaporate before dusk and does not cause rot.  When spraying, droplets of water should not fall on the leaves and buds - this will sharply reduce their attractiveness.

To increase the humidity of the atmosphere, a pot of datura can be surrounded with a layer of well-moistened sphagnum moss - water evaporating from its surface will naturally humidify the air for a long time.

You can place a room humidifier next to the plant or simply place several specimens in a limited area - in this case, they will humidify the air on their own.

During the dormant period, it is better to keep the air dry, since in cool conditions high humidity can lead to rotting and all sorts of fungal diseases.

Datura likes to be in constantly ventilated rooms with good air circulation.

Trees should not be placed in rooms with cold drafts, for example, under air conditioners or near open windows in the winter months.

Purpose

A large, spectacular species for large spaces. Despite its unpretentiousness, it has simply huge, beautiful flowers.

This plant will become an accent in any room and will look very advantageous in the garden when grown in open ground.

When ingested by a person, all parts cause severe poisoning, accompanied by the appearance of vivid hallucinations, so sorcerers of European countries often used it in their rituals.

An interesting feature of datura is that when grown in open ground, it rarely gets along with other flowers and often even weeds do not risk appearing around it.

The cult of this plant is widespread in India - it was used in ritual ceremonies by followers of Shaivism and adherents of the cult of Kali, the goddess of death.

It is interesting that the tincture of leaves is used to combat many insect pests of indoor plants, such as spider mites and cabbage moths.

Useful properties

Datura is used in medicine as a medicinal plant - for example, as a painkiller - this feature was noticed by the Aztecs and the juice was widely used to treat wounds. With the help of hallucinations caused by this same juice, all sorts of mass magical rituals were carried out, during which people fell into a state of trance.

The flower was used in China to treat diseases of the nervous system, and also as an antipyretic.

In India, it was believed that the seeds added to low-alcohol drinks acted as an aphrodisiac and could even cure impotence.

European countries also did not ignore this species - it was used in magical rituals by witches and sorcerers.

Modern medicine also uses herbal preparations as a painkiller and narcotic.

Datura is used to treat conditions such as nervous disorders, asthma, gastrointestinal ulcers, cholecystitis, colitis, tachycardia and rheumatism, as well as to relieve epileptic seizures and treat sore throats.

Note

Datura is very effective, but at the same time extremely poisonous, all parts contain toxins.

Symptoms of poisoning include intense thirst, hallucinations and high temperature. In this case, the mucous membranes of a person turn blue and become dry.

The juice causes paralysis of the respiratory centers, which can lead to death.

Be very careful when handling this bush and under no circumstances leave it alone with children or pets.

All work should be carried out only with gloves, and after contact with the plant, you must thoroughly wash your hands with soap.

Varieties:

Datura stramonium

An annual tall herbaceous plant that can reach 60 - 150 cm in height. It has a vertical, powerful, thick, abundantly branched stem. The leaves are green, serrated, reach a length of 20 cm; when damaged, the leaves and stems emit a foul odor. The leaf blades are dark green, with a lighter green tint on the underside. The flowers are funnel-shaped, with fused petals, very attractive, have a pleasant aroma, reach a diameter of 70 cm, and open at night. Flower colors include white, cream, and purple. After flowering, the plants form small oval seed capsules with a diameter of 3 to 8 cm, covered with numerous sharp spines.

Datura metel

Depending on the climate, these large-flowered plants can be either annual or perennial, reaching a height of 90 cm. The stems are strong, offensively branched, often covered with slight pubescence. The leaves are glossy, dark green, up to 20 cm long, with large teeth along the edges and a whole network of leaf veins. The veins on the surface of the leaf plates are highlighted in a lighter shade. The flowers are very large, solitary, reaching a diameter of 15 to 20 cm, have a pleasant aroma, open in the evening and at night, and can be single or double. Flower colors include white, yellow, lilac, dark purple and pink. The outer side of the petals has short pubescence.

Tree datura or Brugmansia

Brugmansia is a climbing vine with long stems on which are alternately located dark green oblong-oval leaves. Some varieties have denticles along the edge of the leaf blade and leaves covered with fine hairs. In summer, buds appear at the ends of the branches, which subsequently turn into white, pink or yellow tubular magnificent, often single flowers up to 25 cm long. The flowers have a strong scent, sometimes with citrus notes, which intensifies in the evening and fills the entire room. Brugmansia differs from datura in that its flowers seem to droop, while those of datura are arranged vertically. There are variegated forms of Brugmansia.

Datura ceratocaula

Tall, annual, herbaceous plant up to 1 meter high. The stems are branched, green, thick, glossy, hollow inside. The leaves are green, oblong, lanceolate, coarsely toothed, arranged alternately on the stems. The lower surface of the leaf blades has slight pubescence. The flowers are fragrant, funnel-shaped, very large - reaching a diameter of 15 to 20 cm. The flowering period is very long - lasts throughout the summer until mid-autumn. The flower petals are colored white, purple, and yellowish. After flowering, the plants form pear-shaped seed pods with a glossy, smooth surface.