My definition of a wildflower is one that just shows up of its own free will. There are other definitions used for the fourth Wednesday of each month when my friend Gail of Clay and Limestone hosts the sharing of wildflowers, but this meaning will be used for today’s wildflower choice, Datura Metel. It just showed up in the mess of volunteer weeds, shrubs and trees as the hill behind the main house was being cleared and terraced by the renovation backhoe in the summer of 2000. Seeds were collected and scattered in the beds with high hopes. Shown above: Datura metel backed by Rudbeckia lanciniata and Joe Pye weed in the Ferngully bed, September, 2008.
In a true confession, this had been misspelled as Datura metal in most of the previous posts. Those errors have since been corrected. There is no excuse other than laziness for not double checking as is normally done, although it could be said that this whole plant has sort of a Heavy Metal vibe, especially the spiked seed pods.
Sort of like Dracula, this plant blooms at night and is just closing up shop as the dawn breaks, when the photographer is out with the camera perusing the garden in the early hours.
That makes it difficult to capture the image of a fully open flower by one who is safely tucked into bed with a good book or gardening magazine when darkness falls in summertime.
Datura metel goes by several common names, including Devil’s Trumpet and Angel’s Trumpet. It seems as though the ancients could not agree upon which side this shrub-like herbaceous annual butters its bread.
Growing to a height of about three to four feet with an equal spread, the Datura metel growing here sprouts where it wants to. This year and last it showed up along the gravel path that leads from the driveway to the back gardens. Branches blocking passageway have been pruned to save the innocent from being speared by the sharp seedheads.
The long slender buds and infant seedhead are attractive in their own right. Most of the seed carrying cases are snipped off to hold the population in check, but one or two will be allowed to mature and open, spilling the black contents to continue this sinister and mysterious wildflower population in the future.
Some facts:
*The pleasantly-scented 6-8 in. flowers are immensely varied, and can be single or double.
*All parts of Datura plants contain dangerous levels of tropane alkyloids (highly poisonous) and may be fatal if ingested by humans or other animals, including livestock and pets. In some places, it is prohibited to buy, sell or cultivate Datura plants. (Uh oh, but not prohibited where I live.)
*Perennial in zones 9-11, annual elsewhere.
*Grows taller where perennial.
*Native to southern Asia, but established as a roadside weed in the US.
*Best in full sun to a bit of shade.
*Drought tolerant.
*Will self sow.
*Blooms July until frost.
*Each flower lasts one night.
** The name of this plant may truly be Datura stramonium, brought to my attention by an astute comment leaving reader. There are other sites that verify the ID as D. metel. It is confusing when research finds conflicting information. That said, I might just name it Heavy Metel and be done with it.
The Datura metel in our area are blooming and setting seed now. I find it interesting to see them along the roadway and in waste places with the flowers still visible, if spent, in the early morning hours. Finding it growing on our property was considered a blessing, for it is beautiful, so Angel it is, sent from above.
Frances
Fairegarden 
What a cool plant! I love those surprises when plants grow where you least expect them to. Your photo of the seed pod is super!
I now have one growing in my front yard in Massachusetts….came from out of nowhere…found thus site on line and I am glad to contribute. My town planted a new tree in front of my home, and this plant grew next to it.
I wonder if it will return in the spring. We have very cold winters.
Yes, it did seed this season, but my landscaper removed the many little plants before they could get very big and have blossoms. The original plant had so many pods that the seeds spread over a large area, as I had to dig it out piece by piece last fall as it was
so huge that it was obstructing cars going down my street.
I usually see one or two Datura seedlings in my garden each year. Not sure of the species, but I pull them out. Maybe I should leave them be and see what the blooms look like!
I have the plain white bloom ones popping up all over the place every spring. I consider Datura to be Devil’s Trumpet because it’s blooms face upward and Brugmansia to be Angel’s Trumpet because it’s blooms face downward. That’s my redneck two cents worth.
I have a datura that is very similar. This one is even prettier I think with the purple throat. Mine is plain white. They are an interesting plant.
What a lovely thing to show up at Faire Garden to make it even fairer!
I was pleased to find the wonderfully named Jack go to bed before noon (aka Salsify) show up on my allotment a couple of months ago. An apt place for it as it’s grown as an edible crop as well as being a wildflower
xxx
Frances, C and L must be inhospitable to datura~I have tried to grow it. It’s a pretty flower with a wicked looking seedhead! The path from the driveway to the back garden looks fantastic~Love the stand of evergreens and I do see a lovely asteracea in the background of the first photo! Happy WW to you. xxoogail
I grow this beautiful plant in my Minnesota garden. I’m a fussy gardener and like to dead head the spent flowers to keep my garden tidy. One time my pupils became dilated to where you couldn’t see my iris and this dilation continued for a few hours after a trip to the doctor, I found this plant to have caused it. I wouldn’t give up the beautiful datura, so now I just let it go to seed.
I’ve only heard them called Angel’s Trumpet, definitely preferable to the darker side name. Such lovely blooms! I’ve always admired them, but have hesitated growing them here–I’m afraid an overly curious Golden Retriever might think they look like a snack:)
That is a beauty, what a great color in the heart of the bloom. This plant would be a good candidate for a murder mystery plot, beautiful, but deadly.
Great post about datura metel. I know the garden varieties of the Angel’s Trumpet, which you can often see here in Southern California growing in people’s gardens, but I didn’t know that there is a variety considered a wild flower, which is so pretty and self seeds. My favorite photo is the second one showing the seed pod and the seeds. This plants surely protects her seeds very well!
Christina
I think one of the Fairy Dudes planted one along my sidewalk. The Dark Side variety. Love the blooms at night and early morning. Tried photographing them at night; unfortunately all I got was this weird sodium (street light) induced nightmare. Gads.
“the ancients could not agree upon which side this shrub-like herbaceous annual butters its bread.” I love that line Faire. I also love datura. I’ve never gotten it established in my garden, but I do love it. Sometimes, I’ve seen huge daturas in other gardens in Oklahoma. I think I just don’t have room for it.~~Dee
Are you ever lucky, Frances. Datura Metel is lovely! (Now Bobby Vee’s Devil or Angel is stuck in my head!)
Great post Frances. I really like the purple throat. I have 2 of them……1 in the ground & 1 in a pot. The one in the pot is actually doing better. They were given to me by my brother. They are supposed to be white. They have never gotten to any size, no blooms. Maybe I should buy seeds like I did before. That was nice to watch.
These are Datura Stramonium, not D. metel. Love the blog!
The photo on that page is actually Datura Inoxia. Not trying to argue, I’m just really obsessed with Daturas!
I like it! I’ve not heard of it being prohibited here (seen it in nurseries). Definitely deer resistant (or else).
I adore Datura, esp. the funky seedheads, inside and out. GREAT photo of that!
I run an invasive plant removal program in Maine every summer, and Datura is one of the primary plants we are battling. It completely takes over parts of our island and kills off all the native plants. I would never recommend it, but it may behave differently where you are. Readers in other parts of the country beware,
I agree it has a Heavy Metal attitude! These pop up in my garden, and I have always pulled them out. But it does have a beautiful flower…the devil tempts me!
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