What's this plant???

[Melissa]

This had white trumpet shaped flowers on it, which were about 6" long, in September. Does anyone know what it is?

[Cereoid-UR12-]

Didn't we just answer this question?

Haven't you been paying attention?

Its a freaking Datura. Look it up.

BTW, the picture is completely worthless if it doesn't show the flowers or fruit.

[Melissa]

"Cereoid-UR12-" saideth:

The freakin picture that everyone has been showing me of Datura, had leaves that were jagged, not like this!

[Jim Shaffer, Jr.]

going until frost.

[Cereoid-UR12-]

There are several different species of Datura, not just one, and they don't all have "jagged" leaves, Missy.

Look it up yourself.

[Melissa]

"Jim Shaffer, Jr." saideth:

I'm getting confusing info on how they'll grow in Colorado. Some say as an annual, some say perrenial. Do the species vary that way too?

[Sed5555]

From the shape of the leaves, it appears to more likely be a moonflower vine (Ipomoea alba), than datura. Moonflower is a fragrant cousin of morning glory, but it has huge fragrant, white blooms. Take a look at this webpage and see if it looks like your flowers (you can't see it very well, but they are trumpet shaped and at least 6").

[animaux]

Plants are identified by their flower parts, not their foliage. The plant you have is Datura inoxia. There are other datura varieties and cultivars which have different shaped leaves, D.metel has a double flower, D.wrightii is a huge plant with huge flowers with slightly lavender throats (and I mean slightly). So, to have a plant identified you'd need to include a photo of the flower, cone or seed pod. In some cases you can identify by the seed pod, not always.

[animaux]

Not really. Datura are not hardy much further north than USDA Zone 7b and that's pushing it. They are perennial in 8b where I live, in Texas. They may not be perennial in 8b in Washington State. It all depends on many circumstances. They will reseed, that I can assure you.

Victoria

[animaux]

It is not moonflower, Ipomoea alba. It is Datura inoxia.

Victoria

[Cereoid-UR12-]

You didn't check out the photo very carefully, did you Sedentary?

It most definitely is a Datura and not at all a vine.

[Jim Shaffer, Jr.]

Here in Pennsylvania on the border of 5b and 6a, I have daturas emerge from the roots somewhere below ground (all visible stems have died) about every other year, depending on how cold the winter was and where they're planted. The shoots that come up are much too large to be seedlings.

I have never bothered to figure out what species it is. It's a white variety that everyone has had forever, but I don't think it's Jimson Weed. It has non-scalloped leaves.

Every time I've grown colored varieties they haven't survived the winter, but they've been in poorer locations.

[animaux]

You're experience is not common. However, you have micro climate and that is what will determine this situation. I rarely have any return from the original roots and I live in warm climate winter. I think that may have to do more with moisture in soil than anything else. We get fall rains and the soil stays pretty wet most of the winter and can cause the crown of the plant to rot. I'm never in any shortage of datura of many species.

[Melissa]

animaux saideth:

It appears to be. I saw some of the seed pods on it, that look like the ones I found on the web for this.

[Melissa]

animaux saideth:

Just looked around the web and I now agree. It had a fruit that looks like this on it:

in there? The thing is right out between sidewalk and street, so I could pluck a few.

[animaux]

seeds have to ripen in the pod. Just as the pod starts to crack, it will have turned brown/tan and then the seeds are ready to harvest. The thorns on the pod are very sharp and can stick into you quite deeply. The entire plant is toxic so don't ingest any part of it, wash hands before touching your mouth or face.

I tie a paper bag around the pods as they start to turn brown. If you don't get seeds, I have tons of them for many types of datura.

Victoria

[Melissa]

animaux saideth:

They sell them all over Ebay too, but thanks. COme spring, I would like to get some of those fragrant India moonflower ones, in as many colors as possible.

[animaux]

Oh, I don't sell. I give. What's an India moonflower?

[Melissa]

animaux saideth:

[animaux]