Datura or Datura grass– unusual and beautiful color ok, which is quite common on street flower beds And personal plots. Datura is completely unpretentious, its planting and care are based on simple knowledge, so if you wish, you can easily grow the flower yourself, as evidenced by numerous photos of flower growers. The mesmerizing aroma that the large white Datura flowers exude on summer evenings, sometimes with purple splashes, does not leave any gardener indifferent. Many people know this plant as poisonous and harmful, but it also has medicinal properties.
Did you know? Datura grass or datura - unique plant, the mystery and mystical properties of which defy description. Depending on how you use it, it can be both beneficial and harmful. Therefore, some people call it the “angel flower,” others, like Carlos Castaneda in one of his novels, the “devil flower.” Datura was used by sorcerers and soothsayers for mystical rituals. The Aztecs revered the datura herb as sacred because its hallucinogenic effect allowed priests to communicate with otherworldly forces and deities.
Datura (Datura): description of the plant
People have long known what the Datura flower looks like, and have been growing it for several thousand years. With proper and dosed use, the plant can be used in folk medicine. Datura herb has antispasmodic, analgesic and sedative effects. Prepared on the basis of Datura medicines that fight various ailments: asthma, neuralgia, rheumatism, stomach cancer, mastopathy, coughing attacks, etc.
Datura belongs to the Solanaceae family and includes 13 species, which have different descriptions in color, aroma intensity, degree of toxicity, etc. It is an annual herbaceous plant (some gardeners cultivate it as a perennial), with long-petiolate, ovate, dark green leaves, about 10 cm. Flowers are large, single. The fruit of the datura is a large four-lobed capsule with numerous spines, which dries out when ripe.
The plant almost completely contains alkaloids, in the stems - about 0.16%, in the roots - 0.26%, in the seeds - up to 0.22%. In the tropics and subtropics, where wild datura lives, this flower can reach up to 5 meters in length. It is impossible to achieve such growth at home, since it requires a lot free space. Under favorable home conditions, you can grow datura up to two meters.
Important! You should not inhale the aroma of datura for too long, and you should not bring bouquets of these flowers into your home. They are poisonous and can cause headaches, and in some cases hallucinations and mental disorders.
However, despite the toxicity of Datura, it is decorative qualities And beautiful bloom still outweigh, so the flower is actively planted in dachas and garden plots. The aroma of some types of datura is quite pleasant and helps to mask unwanted and unpleasant odors in gardens and summer cottages. In addition, the plant has an incredibly beautiful color that can vary from white to lilac, purple, violet and even yellow.
How to plant datura in open ground: choosing a place for the plant
The unpretentious Datura plant does not require special skills when growing. In order to receive beautiful plant, it is enough to simply provide the dope with nutrition and moisture.
Microclimate for datura
This is a fairly light-loving plant, so for planting it, choose open, sunny places that are not exposed to strong gusts of wind. The plant has rare seed germination (up to 95%), which germinate faster when the temperature rises. Seeds can germinate in a week or two if the temperature rises to +25...+28 °C. Sow the plant in spring:in open ground in May, for seedlings - in late February - early March.
Important! Do not forget that datura is poisonous plant Therefore, it does not belong near playgrounds or in places where children often visit.
Soil for growing dope
Datura loves loose, clayey, fertile, well-drained soils rich in fertilizers. It is better to prepare the soil mixture in the fall. A mixture of sifted garden soil, river sand and humus in a ratio of 2:1:2 is suitable as a substrate. Feeding with complex fertilizers will be required from time to time mineral fertilizers.
Features of planting datura (datura grass)
Datura grass has some planting features that must be taken into account so that the plant will delight the eye with its color for a long time. It is better to grow the first datura through seedlings. Subsequently, it will reproduce by self-sowing and will take its place in the garden for a long time.
Preparation of planting material
Datura seeds germinate quite slowly, about 30 days. Therefore, to speed up the process, you need to soak planting material for 2 weeks in cold water, mixed with any growth stimulant. The floating seeds are thrown away, and those that remain at the bottom can be sown.
How to sow seeds for seedlings
Datura can be cultivated in several ways, the most common of which is growing from seeds. Seedlings are planted in early spring in small plastic containers– cups, food containers. A thin layer of peat, a layer of soil, and then seeds are poured onto the bottom of the container. It is better to cover the seeds with a thin layer of compost, sprinkle with ash and cover with glass. The first shoots germinate unevenly after 10-12 days, the rest will sprout within a month. For seedlings, it is necessary to maintain moderate soil moisture and provide sufficient lighting at all times.
Features of planting dope in open ground
Datura – heat-loving plant, which dies when the temperature drops below +8...+10 degrees, so it is planted in late spring. The middle or end of May is good, as soon as the earth warms up to +16 °C. For planting, you need to prepare planting holes about 60-70 cm deep and about 50 cm in diameter. Datura loves space very much, so it should be planted at a distance of approximately 1 m from each other, without deepening it too much (no more than 10 cm). After planting, the seedlings need to be watered.
Datura: picking seedlings
Datura is a rather sensitive flower, so there is no need to pick it before planting it in separate pots. When planting seedlings, the plant is picked as soon as a couple of leaves appear. Seedlings are planted in separate containers, slightly buried (no more than 1 cm). If seedlings are damaged by the “black leg”, picking can be done at an earlier stage, but the survival rate of the plant is reduced.
Rules for caring for datura in a flower garden
Due to its unpretentiousness, the Datura does not require special care. For her good growth All you need is loose, nutritious soil, pruning and abundant watering, on which the flowering of the plant depends.
How to water the datura
Datura requires watering every other day, and if the weather is dry and hot, you need to water every day. When growing a plant indoors in winter period Watering should be reduced to once a week. If there is insufficient humidity, datura loses buds, flowers and leaves. It is better to water with hard water. The plant loves frequent spraying, especially in the evenings during the hot summer season.
Basic feeding requirements
The plant requires active feeding, especially during the development period. At this time, you need to add weekly alternately complete mineral and organic fertilizers. In winter, when the plant enters a dormant phase, feeding is stopped. If the datura grows on acidic soils, it needs to be watered with lime milk once a season: 1 g of lime per 1 liter of water.
How to prune a plant correctly
One of the prerequisites for the successful growth of Datura as a perennial is pruning. Datura flowers form only on young shoots, therefore, in order for the plant not to stop blooming, you need to constantly trim off the wilted flowers, leaving the fruits for seeds. The seeds may fall off, so special bags are placed on the boxes. In September, after flowering, the crown should be formed by carefully trimming the branches of the plant.
Wintering of Datura
Wintering in open ground Datura cannot stand it, so after pruning the plant is dug up, transplanted into large pots and brought indoors. For successful wintering indoors, the datura requires a constant temperature of +15...+17 °C. During the winter period, the plant sheds all its leaves and forms new shoots with leaves. In the spring you need to prune new branches, which will give good cuttings that will quickly take root. Later rooted datura cuttings are an excellent material for planting, even more resilient than an overwintered mother plant. Therefore, in mid-latitudes, datura is best cultivated as an annual.
Everyone is accustomed to considering datura grass as a noxious weed. But in vain! This is very beautiful bush with large flowers that smell nice. We grow several varieties, the flowers of which can be of completely different colors and shapes. Terry giants are especially beautiful, as in the photographs below.
Therefore, I propose to take a risk and buy dope seeds. And here we will describe in detail how to plant seeds and give some tips on caring for it.
The Latin name of the Datura genus is Datura. And people call it whatever they call it: stupefying grass, stinking dope, water drunk, crazy potion.
Datura grass is a representative of the Solanaceae family, which means it is a close relative of the well-known tomatoes, eggplants and potatoes. Only her sister is the dangerous henbane. Here it is, the insidious beauty of Datura - all parts of the plant are very poisonous!
In general, Datura grass is a native of the warm climate of America and lives in Asia and Europe. She also reached the European part of Russia.
Even though this perennial, V middle lane In Russia it is grown as an annual crop. Recently, it has become very popular among lovers of tall flowering plants. Who can be left indifferent by giant terry bells?
Seeds germinate faster!
Planting and growing datura is very easy! There are a huge number of seeds of various varieties on the planting material market. Any self-respecting company will definitely hide the treasured 3-4 seeds in a multi-colored bag.
The seeds are quite large, covered with a dense seed coat. Germination is very high - 95%, lasts up to 10 years.
One obstacle is that you usually have to wait a very long time for the first shoots, sometimes up to 30 days.
To speed up this cute miracle of nature a little, you can soak the seeds in cool water or a growth stimulant solution for a couple of days. This will help to loosen the tight shackles of the seed coat a little and give light to new green life faster.
Practitioners recommend using a ziplock bag with a small amount of water. Place the seeds there and wait until they hatch, then feel free to plant them in the ground and enjoy the seedlings.
Seedlings or straight into the ground?
In our country, it is better to plant datura as seedlings - it will bloom faster. Don’t miss the opportunity to watch how a real giant will grow from a small seed and thank you for your efforts with light and the music of huge gramophone flowers!
Suitable time for sowing seeds: March-April. Seeds are sown in open ground in May.
How to grow seedlings?
When the first shoots appear, 2-3 weeks after sowing, they will develop very quickly. Therefore, it is worth taking care of the size of the pots. It is advisable to immediately sow one seed per container in order to subsequently avoid the stage of picking seedlings.
The seeding depth is 0.5-1 cm. The soil with the planted seeds is well watered, covered with glass and placed in a warm, dark place (18 - 20 °C). Periodically, the plantings must be ventilated and condensation removed from the surface of the glass. The top soil layer should not be allowed to dry out. Don't forget to water!
When the first shoots appear, containers with sprouts are transferred to a well-lit room and provided with regular watering.
Hardening of seedlings
Finally, the first true leaves have appeared - it’s time to start hardening off the seedlings.
At first, 1-2 hours of walking in the fresh air is enough. When the seedlings get a little stronger, they can be given free rein for a longer period.
After 1 month of such walks, you can leave the seedlings outside overnight. Of course, only if night temperatures do not fall below +10 °C.
When is the time spring frosts behind and the ground has warmed up sufficiently (16-20°C), the seedlings can be placed in a permanent place in the ground with a step of 20-30 cm between specimens. By the time of planting in the garden, the seedlings should reach 15 cm in height. The root collar must not be buried!
Soil. It is better to choose soil rich in organic matter. Datura grass likes it loose nutrient soil, well drained.
Place in the garden. There are several conditions necessary for the datura to develop normally. First, sufficient space for growth. Second, it fits perfectly sunny place or slightly shaded. In the shade, the flowering time will shorten and the plant will become very elongated. Last, no strong winds! Otherwise, the plant will lean to the sides, break, and lose buds.
- A bush with beautiful large flowers looks great as a single plant in a green lawn.
- Perfectly complements group plantings and mixborders.
- The plant can be used to fill voids in a flower bed formed after perennials have flowered.
- The Datura indica species is suitable for growing in a pot or container. True, in this case, she does not grow big.
Watering. Datura grass is very demanding on water quality. Soft water and regular watering will improve the flowering of this plant.
It grows actively in spring and summer, so during this period it requires fertilizing and abundant watering, and spraying of foliage. With a lack of moisture and humidity, it drops buds and leaves.
Withered flowers must be removed so that the plant does not waste energy on producing fruits, but devotes itself entirely to flowering.
Fertilizers. He responds very gratefully to feeding with organic matter (compost, litter, manure). Develops well on compost heaps. It is advisable to apply mineral fertilizer 2-3 times a month.
You can find out what types of datura can be grown here and see their photographs in our page about the types of datura grass
Do you want to surprise your friends? Plant datura - a large, monumental annual with huge (up to 25 cm in diameter) bell-shaped flowers. Datura hybrid, despite its original appearance, is quite unpretentious, although it will not refuse good care. It can be grown by planting seedlings directly into the ground, or as a container plant, placing it on an outdoor deck or patio.
Growing Datura
Datura is not difficult to grow, in general it has a long flowering period, although individual flowers fade quite quickly, but this is compensated by the abundance of buds on one plant. Since Datura produces abundant self-seeding, the process of seed formation must be carefully monitored by cutting off faded heads. If you want to leave seeds for planting, then for this purpose choose the fruits that formed in place of the very first flowers. And put gauze bags on the heads with seeds so that they do not fall off. However, any online seed store has in its assortment planting material for every taste.
The splendor of Datura flowering is affected by the hardness of irrigation water; it is recommended to water the plant at least once a season. lime mortar(1 g/1 liter).
A powerful plant needs abundant feeding. You can use any complex mineral fertilizer (20 g/10 l) and water the datura with it every week during the summer.
Reproduction of Datura
Seed propagation method of datura Planting is done in early March in shallow plastic containers. A thin layer of peat is poured onto the bottom, and then any fertile, loose soil. The seeds are “covered” on top with a layer of compost no more than 5 mm thick, and it would also be nice to dust the top with ash and cover the container with glass. The seeds germinate unevenly, the first ones appear on the 10-12th day, and the remaining ones can germinate for about another month. The soil should be constantly moderately moist. Day and night temperature changes are beneficial for seedlings; with their help, plants are hardened. Seedlings are planted once, deepening them to the level of cotyledon leaves. The plant is planted in the garden in late spring - early summer.
Propagation of Datura by cuttings is not difficult. They take root both in the ground and in water, after which they are planted in separate pots.
Soil mixture for container culture datura
In the fall, soil mixture is prepared for planting datura in containers. To do this, take humus, well-sifted garden soil and coarse river sand (2:2:1). Store the mixture in plastic bags under a canopy.
In the garden, it is better to plant datura in solitary plantings, where it will appear in all its glory. Do not forget that datura is known by another name - Datura, which means that it has no place on the playground, or indeed anywhere where there are young children, since all parts of the plant are very poisonous.
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Datura is better known among common people under the simple name “Datura grass”. And, despite the fact that this plant is poisonous, growing from seeds is quite common in decorative design gardens There is nothing surprising, because the intoxicating aroma of large white flowers, which begins to spread throughout the garden in the late afternoon, is intoxicating and mesmerizing. Every evening the huge datura flowers exude a marvelous delicate aroma, enveloping.
In addition to the fact that this flower is incredibly beautiful, it is completely unpretentious in care. Therefore, even a novice florist can grow datura from seeds. Growing dope yourself at home is based on simple knowledge and skills.
In general, there are no difficulties in planting seeds and growing datura. Therefore, there is no need to study video instructions. Everything is described in some detail in this article.
To be fair, it should be said that Datura flowers fade quite quickly, but this is compensated by the fact that there are a lot of them on the bush. Gardeners are also saddened by the fact that the beauty of the plant is quite insidious; it hides a terrible property - its toxicity. Everything in datura is poisonous: stems, leaves, flowers and even roots. “Mad potion,” which is what people call datura, received its popular name for the properties of the plant, which, when taken orally, causes fantastic hallucinations and delirium, and in large doses leads to long-term mental disorders, insanity, and memory loss. Datura has often been used in history to poison victims of political conspiracies and scammers.
Growing Datura
The homeland of Datura, as well as most exotic plants, is Asia, although today the plant is cultivated as a garden plant in many countries of the world, and in some of them it even grows as a weed.
Datura is a perennial, highly branched herbaceous plant, with a powerful root system, reaching a height of up to 1.5 m. Datura flowers can be either white or yellow, violet, pink and even purple, and the fruits of the plant are ovoid, multi-seeded four-leaf capsules , completely covered with small thorns on the outside.
Growing Datura is a simple process, even for a novice gardener, but I’ll tell you one secret - Datura feels best on an ordinary manure or compost heap. Not knowing how to disguise a manure heap, I had been selecting a plant for it for a long time and, after reading the recommendations of numerous gardeners, I chose the datura, which was just perfect. This amazing plant It not only disguised the manure heap with its decorative leaves and flowers, but also completely overwhelmed with its amazing aroma the smell emanating from the heap, to put it mildly, was not very pleasant :)
In central Russia, Datura is grown as a seasonal annual, but if you remove the plant before the first frost in the room, it can also be grown as a perennial. True, this requires space; growing datura on a windowsill will not work; in my room it has won a corner of 1.5 square meters. m.
The soil mixture for sowing datura seeds must be prepared in advance, I do this in the fall, and ideally it should consist of 2 parts of sifted garden soil, 1 part of coarse river sand and 2 parts of humus. I sow Datura seeds for seedlings at the end of March, and in open ground at the beginning of May, choosing the warmest sunny places for its cultivation.
Due to the fact that Datura seeds have low germination energy, its first shoots appear only 10-30 days after sowing. In order to speed up the germination of seeds, I flood them hot water, I throw away the ones that float, and sow the rest.
Before germination, the soil must be constantly moist; for this I cover the container with the seeds with plain paper. After the first shoots of the datura appear, I transfer the seedlings to a fairly cool but well-lit place, and with the appearance of 2 true leaves, I begin picking them. I carefully plant the seedlings, burying them under the very cotyledons; this only benefits the plant.
I plant Datura in open ground at the end of May, at a distance of about 1 m from each other, I repeat - the plant really loves space. To plant datura, you need to choose a windproof, sunny place without drafts, which the plant does not tolerate.
Datura seeds germinate from a depth not exceeding 10 cm, remember this when planting the plant directly in open ground.
Datura also reproduces well by cuttings. Why, in mid-September, cut a non-lignified cutting of a plant with 2-3 internodes and root it - in plain water or directly in the soil. In May, the plant, rooted in the fall and already fairly grown, must be planted in open ground. If you grow datura as a perennial, transferring it to winter time indoors, then its cuttings can be rooted throughout the year.
The flowering phase of dope begins 3 weeks after sowing.
Datura care
Datura is a very unpretentious plant and needs, perhaps, only nutritional loose soil, pruning and abundant watering, by the way, the constant flowering of the plant depends on it.
It is advisable to water the datura every other day, and if the summer is hot, then every day. If you intend to continue growing Datura indoors, as a indoor plant, then in winter it is significantly reduced - to once a week. The same should be done with fertilizing. During the development period, we feed the datura weekly with complete mineral and organic matter, alternating feeding, and stop feeding during the dormant period that occurs in the plant in winter. On acidic soils, it is recommended to water the plant once a season with lime milk (1 g per 1 liter of water).
The second prerequisite for successfully growing datura as a perennial is pruning. This is due to the fact that flowers on datura are formed only on young shoots. Therefore, with the onset of autumn, after flowering, it is necessary to trim the branches of the plant, thus forming the crown of the datura. To activate the flowering of datura, you need to regularly remove the faded heads, leaving for seeds only those fruits that formed instead of the very first flowers. Datura seeds ripen only two months after the formation of the ovaries.
Growing datura in the first year, I was never able to collect my seeds, and the whole point is that, having ripened, they literally instantly crumbled to the ground. To prevent this, in subsequent years I began to put bags made of ordinary nylon tights over the “bumps”.
Types of datura
More recently, the genus Datura included a number of species that are now classified as an independent genus - Brugmansia: Brugmansia arborea, Brugmansia vulcanicola, Brugmansia versicolor, Brugmansia aurea, Brugmansia suaveolens and BrugmansiaB sanguinea. Although these species are still often found on sale under the name Datura.
Today the genus Datura includes only herbaceous plants with characteristic large bell-shaped flowers that grow exclusively upward (and not like Brugmansia downwards).
Datura stramonium - common datura
Datura stramonium - common datura. A plant with large whole leaves and gorgeous flowers with a funnel-shaped folded white corolla.
Datura metel - Indian datura
Datura metel - Indian datura, plant with large beautiful flowers. The Indian datura got its name because it is most widespread in India, where it is considered a sacred plant and is called the “flower of Shiva.”
Datura Innoxia - Indian datura
Datura Innoxia - Indian datura, prefers to grow in wastelands, sometimes forming entire thickets. This annual plant, characterized by intense unpleasant smell and beautiful large white funnel-shaped flowers, located singly in the forks of the branches.
Datura stramonium var. tatula - Datura, distinguished by its extremely beautiful lilac-bluish color of flowers.
Datura stramonium f. inermis is a Datura variety that is in high demand due to complete absence thorns on the fruits.
Some beautiful photos dates:
My first acquaintance with Datura took place in a large Ukrainian village. In front of the local administration building there was a very beautiful bush, strewn with huge white “gramophones”. This plant was also found in front gardens, under fences, and along roadsides. On the outskirts of the village there was a farm, around which Datura was mercilessly destroyed so that the poisonous plant did not end up in livestock feed. A few years later, I saw Datura blooming at my relatives’ dacha near Moscow and decided to grow this plant on my site.
Where to plant and how to care?
Datura is unpretentious. Especially if it is provided with nutrition and moisture. The taste of this plant can be judged by the fact that the most luxuriantly flowering daturas grow on abundantly watered compost heaps. This plant needs loose and nutrient-rich soil, to which ash is added. I came to the conclusion that it is worth spending time and energy on preparing high-quality planting holes. I make them up to 70 cm deep and about 50 cm in diameter with good drainage. When planting, it is important not to bury the plant. This could ruin him.
In containers, datura grows shorter than in open ground. She needs large containers. Flower pots with datura can be dug into the ground for the summer.
Datura grows quickly, so it needs frequent fertilizing with organic and mineral fertilizers. In hot weather, it is watered daily and abundantly. Better with hard water. On acidic soils, you can water the plant with lime milk once a summer (at a concentration of 1 g per 1 liter of water).
Datura's health is excellent. My dates have never gotten sick. Only occasionally did pests such as whiteflies and spider mites appear.
Reproduction
Datura is propagated by seeds and cuttings.
TO seed propagation start in the spring. Seeds are sown for seedlings in February–March, in open ground – in May. The seeds germinate slowly and unfriendly. When the temperature rises to plus 24...28 degrees, they germinate much faster, in one to two weeks. Seedlings are afraid of both overwatering and dry soil. When sowing in individual containers, seedlings are not planted. The soil mixture is prepared from humus, sifted garden soil and coarse sand. Growing dope seedlings is similar to growing eggplants. Before sowing, the seeds can be soaked overnight in water with a growth stimulant. Seedlings are planted in open ground after the end of frost in late May or early June.
In the fruit, a spherical spiny capsule the size of walnut, contains fairly large seeds. When ripe it cracks. As a result, abundant self-seeding appears. Some seeds germinate in autumn. After warm winter they have a chance to survive. In severe winters, seedlings freeze. In May, only those seeds that did not have time to germinate in the fall appear. I noticed that I never had any problems with my seeds. Store-bought ones were often worse and did not germinate several times.
Datura can also be propagated by cuttings, which quickly take root in a light substrate and in water. They also produce roots in sphagnum moss. The cutting may have one or more internodes. Large leaves are removed or cut in half. The use of root formation stimulants accelerates the appearance of roots. When cuttings are taken in September - early October, the seedling overwinters in the house, and after the end of spring frosts it is transplanted into open ground. You can root cuttings in the spring, after plants that have overwintered at home begin to grow.
Grown from seeds or cuttings, datura blooms in the same summer.
Wintering experience
In open ground, Datura is doomed to freeze. Therefore, several times in the fall I dug it up (ordinary and Indian) for wintering in the house, and planted it in pots, which I placed on an insulated loggia (plus 14...16 degrees). In winter, these plants shed almost all their leaves. After some time, new shoots with leaves appeared. I took some daturas to a dry basement (plus 5...8 degrees). Light enters through a small window. There, the datura also shed most of its foliage and awakened only towards the end of winter. All this time I moistened the soil in the pots once every two weeks. The first sanitary pruning was carried out in the fall while preparing the plants for wintering. Spring pruning gave me cuttings that quickly took root in damp sphagnum moss.
Rooted cuttings of datura are excellent planting material, which is much more viable than an overwintered mother plant. That is why in the middle zone the common and Indian daturas are cultivated as annual crops.
Poisonous beauty
We must not forget that Datura is a highly poisonous plant. It’s not for nothing that the Russian language has the word “stupefy.” If you communicate too closely with a datura, various symptoms of poisoning may occur, the most harmless of which will be headache. A bouquet of flowers cannot be placed in the bedroom or in the room where children are. Pets should also be kept away from this plant. Datura combines good and evil, good and bad. Perhaps that is why some people call it “angel’s trumpets”, while others call it “devil’s trumpets”.
Ordinary, he's stinky
This type of datura (Datura stramonium) is well known in Russia, especially in southern regions, in Siberia and Far East. There it grows in landfills, garbage heaps, in roadside ditches and near barnyards. Weeds in gardens. In the middle zone, in open ground, this wild-growing species is easier to grow as an ornamental annual. Large funnel-shaped white flowers have a peculiar smell. Some people like it, others find it unpleasant. Datura flowering lasts from June to early autumn. Each individual flower does not live long, but a new one blooms to replace it. The first fruits appear at the end of July. They look like spiny hedgehogs the size of a walnut.
Datura vulgaris has several garden forms. These are ‘Datura stramonium tatula’ with lilac-blue flowers and ‘Datura stramonium Inermis’ with non-thorny fruits.
Datura Indian
Another popular species, Datura metel, was liked by gardeners for the beauty of its incredibly large, fragrant flowers. In the middle zone, in open ground, it is also grown as an annual.
In tropical and subtropical Asia it is a perennial weed and garden plant grows up to 1.5 m high. When planted in containers, it is lower. Datura flowers always look up. Varietal forms can have flowers not only white, white-cream, but also purple, violet, orange and yellow. In the ‘Flore Pleno’ variety they are terry, purple with white spots.
The stores sell the early flowering variety mixture “Ballerina” (‘Datura metel Balerina’). It is recommended to grow it as a container crop. "Ballerina" planted in volumetric flower pot, soon turns into a charming compact plant 30–50 cm high with large double flowers. Their diameter is about 10 cm. And since this is a mixture of varieties, the color of the tubular flowers depends on the specific variety. For example, the variety “Purple Ballerina” (height up to 40 cm) has large double purple-white flowers up to 20 cm long. It is suitable for planting in containers, balcony boxes and flower beds. The variety “Ballerina Yellow” (50 cm high) allows you to grow Datura with yellow terry gramophones in flower beds and containers.
Brugmansia
This genus was previously classified as Datura. Until now, the seeds of some species are sold “out of habit” under the name “Datura” (“Datura”). One of the signs by which these two genera of the same nightshade family can be distinguished is the position of the flowers. In the grassy datura they look up. Brugmansia has huge bells of fragrant flowers pointing downwards. This perennial plant in central Russia grows only in closed ground. In the summer, it can only be temporarily transplanted into open ground or a tub of Brugmansia can be placed on fresh air to the garden or balcony. Brugmansia arborea in a short time grows into a bush or tree up to 2–2.5 meters high. In open ground, during the summer season, the base of its stem manages to partially become lignified. Brugmansia agricultural technology has a number of features.