Consulta Plantas

Care of the shrub Datura or Devil's trumpets

The genus Datura, family Solanaceae, includes 9 species of shrubs and herbaceous plants native to South America. Some species are: Datura stramonium, Datura metel, Datura discolor, Datura inoxia, Datura ferox, Datura ceratocaula.

Common names: Devil's trumpets, Thornapples, Jimsonweed, Moonflower, Devil's weed and Hell's bells.

They are easy to grow plants with alternate leaves and large white, red or yellow trumpet-shaped flowers. They bloom from summer to fall, depending on the species.

Datura can grow in full sun or semi-shade exposures and protected from cold; they do not resist temperatures below 7 ºC (44.6 ºF). The species Datura stramonium is more resistant than the others. Datura need a lot of space in the garden.

They need abundant watering throughout the year and can be pruned in winter to re-sprout more strongly the following year.

The ideal soil is a loamy garden substrate with 30% compost. Transplant herbaceous species in spring and shrub species in autumn; these plants do not resist transplants well.

Fertilize during the flowering season with nitrogen-rich fertilizer every 15 days.

They are very resistant plants to the usual pests and diseases.

They propagate by cuttings from spring to fall. Annual species reproduce well by seeds.

Datura stramonium: It is an annual herbaceous species that reaches more than 1 meter (3.28 feet) in height. The leaves are very toxic because they contain Hyoscyamine and Atropine. It has 15 cm (5.9") long white flowers that bloom in summer. They reproduce by seeds of the poisonous fruits.

Datura metel: Reaches 1.5 meters (4.92 feet) in height and blooms in summer with large white flowers 20 cm (7.87") in length. There are varieties of yellow or violet flowers. It is an ideal species for coastal garden areas.

Images of the shrub Datura or Devil's trumpets