Jimsonweed produces charming but poisonous flowers.
Jimsonweed (Datura stramonium) is an annual member of the nightshade family that goes by a host of colorful common names, including gypsum weed, stinkweed, devil's apple and thorn-apple. Though jimsonweed boasts attractive white flowers, the plant is generally considered a weed due to its high toxicity, pungent odor and tendency to self-sow freely.
Appearance
Jimsonweed grows up to 4 feet tall, producing coarse, dark purple stems and 3- to 8-inch wavy leaves that have a strong, unpleasant smell. The foliage odor contrasts with the sweetly fragrant, delicate flowers, which are funnel-shaped and either white or lavender. Flowers bloom in the summer and fall, opening for one evening before wilting. The light green, egg-shaped fruits are densely covered in spines. Fruits darken and pop open when ripe to reveal black, kidney-shaped seeds.
Location
Jimsonweed is nearly cosmopolitan, though it is believed to have originated in Asia. The annual occurs throughout most of the world and frequently shows up uninvited in pastures, roadsides, agricultural lands and disturbed areas in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 to 9. It generally is not found in deserts or in elevations above 4,900 feet. Jimsonweed will grow in full sun or partial shade, but it cannot tolerate total shade.
Culture
Jimsonweed is an adaptable plant that will grow in a range of soil types, though it prefers a light, rich, well draining soil. Because of its tendency to develop certain viruses that harm members of the potato family (Solanaceae), Plants for a Future warns that the plant should not be grown near tomatoes (Malus spp.) or potatoes (Solanum tuberosum). Growing jimsonweed is illegal in some states and municipalities and should not be grown in households with children or curious pets.
Warning
Jimsonweed contains toxic tropane alkaloids that can cause serious poisoning. Symptoms of poisoning include hot, flushed skin, hallucinations, headache, delirium, convulsions and coma. People who ingest jimsonweed may have no memory of their experience. Breathing in the fragrance of the flowers can cause dizziness, according to North Carolina State University. The sap can be a skin irritant. Though sheep and cattle sometimes die from eating the plant, human death from ingesting jimsonweed is rare.
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