In the Night Garden, scented by datura
July 26, 2012
Ruffled, white trumpets scenting the evening air. Ah, datura. Look and smell, but don’t taste.
All material © 2006-2012 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
cool gardens in a hot climate™
Is this D. wrightii? Do you plant anything around this space in the spring to fill the hole until the foliage comes up?
It is D. wrightii, Susan, and no, I don’t have anything planted around it. We have such a short winter in Austin that the downtime between winter cut-back (which I do in mid-Feb.) and spring growth is only a few weeks or a month. —Pam
Heavenly scented, as was the dim light you captured it in! I planted a few of our native Datura wrightii (aka D. meteloides) at my old house, right below both bedrooms’ windows…smelled great when I opened the windows at night. But I also learned that our local tale was true, of waking up with headaches after prolonged exposure to it! Maybe it emits toxins within that sweet scent, or it’s from the unpleasant smelling foliage? After 2-3 summers, I dug out the roots or tubers of the original plants (those were perennial), plus the countless seedlings, and I never had that issue again the next 2-3 summers!
Headaches might depend on the individual, as well as which Datura species; Abq has 2 or 3 native species. Occasionally, someone here dies trying to get the reported, legendary hallucinations from smoking / taking Datura; mostly experimental teens.
Interesting, David. I bet you had some strange dreams on those nights! —Pam
Love night blooming flowers. Love love love scented night bloomers!
Me too, Janet, but I’m not always good at remembering to go out at night and appreciate them. We’re much more daytime enjoyers of our garden. —Pam
Night bloomers are generally intoxicating in every way. Datura is not different. Thanks for sharing!
My pleasure, Anna. —Pam
One of the few plants that is surviving our drought. It is fun to watch for the moths drawn to this plant. Especially when the big moths come in. I have tried for photos but I don’t have the right equipment nor know how.
Those sphinx moths are very fast and hard to capture in the dim light of evening. I bet you’ll get one eventually. Have you tried your camera’s sports setting? A tripod would help steady the lens too. —Pam
Since I got rid of the Brugmansia, there’s been a want of evening fragrance, but last night, surprise! Lily ‘Candy Club’ was broadcasting a lovely fragrance, not cloying at all. Not drought tolerant, tho.
But beautiful by day too, I bet, unlike datura blossoms, which collapse in the morning. —Pam
if your camera has a fireworks setting on it, try that. you can always adjust the light in the computer for clarity without ruining the night effect.