Brugmansia (Datura) inoxia, a.k.a. Thorn-apple, Angel's Trumpet, Devil's Trumpet, etc. (there are many) is a pretty old-school Texas native plant that most folks are familiar with, at least visually. It forms a multi-branched, rambling, semi-woody subshrub and is loaded with ethereal, pure-white to yellowish trumpet-like blossoms in the hottest parts of the year. Record heat and drought? No problemo--as evidenced by this volunteer specimen outside my greenhouse at Brookhaven:
Datura is in the Solanaceae, or Nightshade family--and yes, it's quite poisonous. All parts of this lovely gal are loaded with Atropine, Hyoscine and Hyoscamine, alkaloids that have caused poisoning, hallucinations and death in both humans and animals. It's closely related to Jimsonweed (Datura stramonium) as well as Mandrake and Belladonna.
Back in my college years, I took a fantastic native plants course that consisted of hikes through various hill country locations to find and identify various species. Our professor noted the old story of Italian women during the Rennaissance using Belladonna as a beauty aid--dilated pupils were considered a gorgeous trait, so Atropine-loaded Belladonna berries were used to create a solution that was dripped into the eyes to cause the dilation. That's a beauty secret you won't find in any magazine today--although it is still used for medical purposes.
Members of the nightshade family are known in herbalist circles as "Witches Weeds" and have been used in various manners for both suicide and murder. Colorful history, no doubt--but I digress. Although intolerant of frost and generally grown as an annual, the plant itself is a vigorous grower that can withstand extremely punishing conditions--reference those that we in north Texas are currently experiencing. They produce rounded, spiny seed pods that play a role in many of its most popular common names, such as "thorn-apple":
One word of caution, besides the whole toxicity thing: they re-seed themselves vigorously. I started a few seedlings a couple of years ago to fill parched, low-maintenance areas on the golf courses, and they've gone berserk--I could fill a nursery with the seedlings we pull out each season.
Okay, so they're toxic and can become a nuisance... isn't that true of some people we all know, but keep around anyway? Everyone has redeeming features, and the flowers will make you moon-eyed as they glow bluish in the early morning light, and this plant is as tough as nails, something any plant-nerd--amateur or professional--is valuing right now.
The flowers, up to 8" in length, have an intense nighttime fragrance and are great friends with nocturnal moth species. Hummingbirds visit them, but are said to be affected by the alkaloids and must limit their consumption. Honeybees are evidently unaffected, and come away with a generous dusting of fluffy white pollen.
On a related note, I'm delighted to report that my Brugmansia sanguinea seedlings are thriving in the greenhouse:
In the foreground, one of five B. sanquinea seedlings now up to a 1G pot, with Agave babies standing guard just behind it. In the background is what we call "Irma-land"--I've given up trying to organize her territory.
Poor photograph, but photography has never been my strong point...anyway, I'm pleased these five little guys are making it, as the seeds aren't exactly common--not RARE, but not run-of-the-mill, either. I've been nuts about Brugmansia species since I was a kid--and this red species is a collector's item--at least to me:
(Photograph from jungleseeds.com)
You can see the close relation to Datura--and in fact, the two have now been lumped together into the same Genus--it's all just Brugmansia now. There's an ongoing fuss about pendulous vs. erect flowers (Nikki will giggle) and so-on, but that's where we are.
These beauties aren't exactly what we would call "well-adapted"--or for that matter, even remotely adapted--to our area. This is just one of those delicate little jewels I'll be happy to get a bloom or two out of, and be happy if it lives with me for one season in a pot, in the Betsy garden. If it doesn't stick around longer and I don't get it back in the greenhouse before the frost, then hey--it's been a fun experiment anyway. That, and I'll still have my army of Datura--err, Brugmansia inoxia.
I'd actually love to review these boxes on my shopping/lifestyle blog. i wonder if they'd send me a sample box to talk about?
Posted by: Moncler Outlet | Wednesday, January 04, 2012 at 03:36 PM