Proper datura stramonium care for winter?
I have an indoor Datura Stramonium plant, and winter has come. It has lost its leaves, but the stems (branches) are turning green and becoming light and brittle. Is that normal? Also, will it come back in the spring? How do I care for it?
Comments
I have stored mine in a cool dark area such as a basement or garage during winter, they go dormant and only water them lightly ever few months, in spring they should come out with new leaves. Freeze will kill them. If you saved seeds they do very well.
Hello, Austin. The Wikipedia and Botanical.com URLs are below in sources.
datura stramonium is also "known by the common names jimson weed, devil's trumpet, devil's weed, thorn apple, tolguacha, Jamestown weed, stinkweed, locoweed, datura, pricklyburr, devil's cucumber, hell's bells, moonflower[1] and, in South Africa, malpitte and mad seeds, is a common weed in the Solanaceae (nightshade) family." from Wikipedia
From the pictures, it looks like what we called "cockle-burr" when a child in central Texas.
The following information is from Botanical.com A Modern Herbal by Mrs M. Grieve:
"Thornapple
POISON!
Botanical: Datura stramonium (LINN.)
Family: N.O. Solanaceae"
"The whole plant is poisonous, but the seeds are the most active; neither drying nor boiling destroys the poisonous properties. The usual consequences of the poison when taken in sufficient quantity are dimness of sight, dilation of the pupil, giddiness and delirium, sometimes amounting to mania, but its action varies greatly on different persons. Many fatal instances of its dangerous effects are recorded: it is thought to act more powerfully on the brain than Belladonna and to produce greater delirium. The remedies to be administered in case of poisoning by Stramonium are the same as those described for Henbane poisoning, and also Belladonna poisoning. It is classed in Table II of the poison schedule. The pupils have become widely dilated even by accidentally rubbing the eyes with the fingers after pulling the fresh leaves of Stramonium from the plant."
"The seeds have in several instances caused death, and accidents have sometimes occurred from swallowing an infusion of the herb in mistake for other preparations, such as senna tea."
"The plants may also be raised from seeds, sown in a hot-bed in February or March, or in April in boxes in a cool greenhouse, the seedlings, when large enough, being transferred to small pots, in which they are grown with as much light and air as possible till June, when they are planted in the open. Thornapple transplants readily."