- = Drago Cactoid = -

Datura discolor

Datura discolor is a large, beautiful plant with gorgeous flowers. The flower size is smaller than D. wrightii but larger than D. stramonium. It's pure white with an incredible purple throat. The seed pod is very spiney. I'm experimenting with allowing this plant's roots to remain in the ground over Winter to see if it will come back like D. wrightii does. (Note: It didn't.)

D. discolor grow to about 5 feet feet tall and about the same across in full sun with good soil. Make sure you give them room! They are profuse bloomers.

Like all species of Datura, these don't like to be disturbed once growing. If you want to start them indoors, either start them in peat pots or make sure you take plenty of soil when removing from flats to disturb the roots as little as possible. Then water well.

Datura discolor

Datura ferox

Datura ferox is a midsized plant with white flowers. The flower size is larger than D. stramonium, about the size of D. discolor. The seed pod is very spiney, similar to D. quercifolia.

D. ferox grow to about 4 or 5 feet feet tall and about the same across in full sun with good soil. Make sure you give them room!

Like all species of Datura, these don't like to be disturbed once growing. If you want to start them indoors, either start them in peat pots or make sure you take plenty of soil when removing from flats so you disturb the roots as little as possible. Then water well.

Please note that D. ferox is challenging to germinate. My most successful method so far has been to plant several seeds in a small plastic pot and keep the soil quite moist and warm. Germination took about 4 weeks. I can also suggest planting some seeds in the ground in the fall and let them germinate on their own schedule in the spring. The packets have plenty of seeds to experiment with over a few years. I think it has the most spectacular seed pods of any species.

Datura ferox

Datura metel v fastuosa

Datura metel v fastuosa is the double-flowered purple variety. The flower size is the same as the double yellow (D. metel v muricata), a little smaller than D. wrightii. It's purple on the outside of the flower and white inside. The seed pod is bumpy but not spiney.

In full sun and good soil D. metel v muricata grow to about 5 feet tall but don't spread out the way D. discolor does. They remain quite upright and behave themselves! They are excellent bloomers once they get started. Unlike many others of this genus, the flowers last for more than one night, remaining open for several days. They have the characteristic sweet scent.

I previously had a typographical error in the name of this plant and had called it Datura metel v fatuosa. The correct spelling is D. metel v fastuosa.

Datura metel v fastuosa

Datura metel v muricata

Datura metel v muricata is the double-flowered yellow variety. The flower size is the same as the double purple (D. metel v fastuosa), a little smaller than D. wrightii. It's yellow inside and out. The seed pod is bumpy but not spiney. I'm experimenting with allowing this plant's roots to remain in the ground over Winter to see if it will come back like D. wrightii does. (Note: it did not!)

In full sun and good soil D. metel v muricata grow to about 5 feet tall but don't spread out the way D. discolor does. They remain quite upright and behave themselves! They are excellent bloomers once they get started. Unlike many others of this genus, the flowers last for more than one night, remaining open for several days. They have the characteristic sweet scent.

I gave mine regular doses of general purpose Miracle Grow in the Spring and switched to Peter's Blooms Plus when the plants reached 3 feet high. I staked them with sturdy bamboo when they reached 4 feet. Without support late summer thunderstorms tend to knock them down. That is true of all the upright Datura species such as stramonium and discolor as well.

Datura metel v muricata

Datura quercifolia

Datura quercifolia is a medium sized, beautiful plant with attractive, understated, mid-sized flowers. The flower size is smaller than D. discolor but larger than D. stramonium. It's pure white with a distinct purplish edge. The seed pod is very spiney. The root stock does not appear to be winter hardy.

D. quercifolia grow to about 5 feet feet tall and about the same across in full sun with good soil. Make sure you give them room! They are excellent bloomers.

Like all species of Datura, these don't like to be disturbed once growing. If you want to start them indoors, either start them in peat pots or make sure you take plenty of soil when removing from flats to disturb the roots as little as possible. Transplant in the evening and then water well.

Please note that D. quercifolia is just about the most difficult species to germinate! Out of at least 30 seeds I only ever germinated one, yes, ONE. I don't profess to have any deep dark secret for doing it again, but I'd suggest planting some seeds in the ground in the Fall and let them germinate on their own schedule in the spring. The packets have plenty of seeds to experiment with over a few years. The plants and the flowers are worth the extra bother. I think I like this one fully as much as D. discolor and it has the most spectacular seed pods of any species, possibly eclipsed only by D. ferox - possibly.

Datura quercifolia

Datura stramonium

Datura stramonium is usually a lavenderish color, but my variety is white. Don't ask why, it's not my fault! The flower size is much smaller than all the other species offered here, and measures about 4 inches from the base to the open trumpet and about 3" across. The seed pod has fewer spines than D. discolor but they are very stout. I'm experimenting with allowing this plant's roots to remain in the ground over Winter to see if it will come back like D. wrightii does.

In full sun and good soil D. stramonium will grow to about 6 feet tall and has a spread of up to 5 or 6 feet. They're fairly well behaved, however if you allow the seed to drop from the pods onto the ground they will reseed themselves perhaps thicker than you'd prefer. They are excellent bloomers once they get started. They have the characteristic sweet scent but not as strong as some other species.

Datura stramonium

Datura wrightii

Datura are native to the Southwestern United States and Mexico. In the Northeast I grow them as annuals, although D. wrightii will easily re-seed itself. I've also had the plants return from root stock for several years now, even after an unusually cold CT winter.

Datura tend to be large plants, and depending on the species one tiny seedling may cover an area over 4 feet by 4 feet. They like as much sun as you can give them, but will also grow with only a couple of hours of sun per day if you don't mind smaller plants.

Datura wrightii is a low-grower, covering a largish area but rarely exceeding 3 feet in height. Once the seedling is established the plant will grow fast and start to bloom in mid-summer, and continue until frost kills the plant. The flowers are large, white with a slight purplish cast along the edge and a strong, sweet scent. The flowers open in the evening and last until morning, with each flower lasting only one day. The short-lived blooms are rapidly replaced by the abundant buds-in-waiting.

I was previsouly calling these seeds Datura meteloides (syn. D. inoxia), but that was an incorrect identification. These are correctly named D. wrightii.

Please see the Datura culture sheet - listed on the left - for more details.

Datura wrightii