hello, I am searching for information on a flowering bush. blooms: 4"to 6" white, like easter lillies. summertime blooms, full sun. leaves: 3"to 4" sage green with soft texture. Scented like peanut oil. The leaves are folded, not open flat. seed pod: round green but when opened full of brown woven seed. This bush is growing on the south side of a medical building in Oklahoma, full sun, full heat. Any information would be helpful. Thanks! (sorry, no pics)
Datura wrightii ? The plant you are describing could well be Datura wrightii (formerly known as Datura meteloides). This Datura is native to the Southwest – from Colorado to west Texas, down into Mexico. Like most members of the genus, this plant is poisonous. The large white to pale purple flowers usually open in the evening and only last a day or so, but are known for the intense and beautiful perfume they release. The scent of the leaves, however, has been likened to everything from peanuts to slightly rotten chocolate. The plant is an annual, but some hybrid forms have been known perennialize if conditions are right. I have included the only two pictures I currently have of this plant – do they look like the plant you saw?
Yes! Thank you for your response. The flower looks very similar, but the color of the leaves in the picture you provide seem to be more brilliant green...maybe from soil conditions? I am working on submitting a pic. Thanks!!
The leaves in the photographs are not quite true to their typical appearance, since these plants were grown in partial shade. When this Datura is grown in full sun, however, the leaves tend to be a much paler grey-green.
seed advice needed please... I just saw this bush (the same as the picture above) for the first time yesterday and just love it! the seed pods (or at least I beleive the seeds are probably inside?) are round and prickly (looking like a porcupine)... what is the best way of harvesting the seeds and replanting? do I let the pod dry out? any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Hi Dana, The seed pods should be allowed to ripen on the plant, until they just begin to split. If you have already picked it, then you should allow the pods to ripen and split naturally. It’s always a good idea to ask the owner of the plant when they might be cutting it down or harvesting the seed themselves, and ask if you might have some of the seed for yourself. This way you can usually be assured that you are getting the ripest seed possible, while also assuring you are not taking seed that gardener may need to keep the plant going in their garden. Thompson & Morgan Seeds usually sells a superior form of this plant called Datura ‘Evening Fragrance’ Hope this helps.
