The Sacred Datura is a member of the
nightshade family (which also includes tobacco, and
food crops such as potatoes, tomatoes and chile peppers). Datura is a
perennial herb which grows from a tuberous root to 2 - 5 feet in
height and 3 - 6 feet in width. It has dark green leaves which grow to 6
inches long and are oval or heart shaped.
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The Sacred Datura contains
numerous toxic alkaloids. All parts of the plant are poisonous if
ingested. |
Datura grows in washes and roadsides at elevations
from 1000 to 6000 feet. It can bloom from April to November (though
flowers are most common in late summer). The flower is large (2 inches
in diameter and 6 inches in length), white and trumpet shaped. They open
around dusk which is why they are also sometimes referred to as Night
Blooming Datura. Flowers are followed by a prickly seed pod to 2 inches
in diameter. Sacred Datura is pollinated by Hawkmoths which also lay eggs
on the plant. The caterpillars eat the leaves and incorporate the plant's
toxins into their own tissues, becoming toxic to their would be
predators. Native Americans used the plant for medicinal purposes and to
induce visions, though I suspect many of them also died in the process.
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