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"Devil's trumpet is a plant that always commands the
attention of the summer visitors to the National Herb Garden. It
grows 3 or 4 feet tall with large, dark green leaves, sometimes
with purple stems. The foliage has a rank smell, but the large,
trumpet-shaped flowers have a sweet fragrance that permeates the
garden, especially in the mornings and evenings. They come in
single and double forms, and a variety of colors, from white to
yellow and light to dark purple.
Datura metel, a member of the Soanaceae, or nightshade
family, often appears on poisonous plant lists. It contains
toxic tropane alkaloids, which are responsible for the plant's
long history as a medicinal herb. Easy to grow from seed started
indoors a month before the last frost in zone 7 and lower, the
plants will start flowering when they are about a foot tall.
They thrive in rich garden soil and flower best in full sun."
– James Adams, Curator of the National Herb Garden, Promising Plants Presentation, 2004
Plant Source: J.L. Hudson, Seedsman in La Honda,
California, and The Fragrant Path in Fort Calhoun, Nebraska.
 Datura
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Text and images © 2004 The Herb Society of America
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