2025 August 16 Sacred Datura

Jimsonweed, Thorn Apple, Moon Flower, Angel Trumpet, Hell’s Bells, Momoy, Toloache, Sacred Datura…the common names for Datura wrightii highlight the lore surrounding the plant. The first time I came in contact with a Datura plant was in Cuenca, Ecuador. A tour guide said they are great plants for under bedroom windows because the intoxicating aroma will help you sleep. He said sometimes parents would put a bloom under a child’s pillow if they had trouble sleeping. He cautioned us though that too much of this plant would cause people to “sleep forever”. It had even been used as a date rap3 drug, so be careful, ladies. Wow, I thought. I took a good moment to remember what the Datura looked like.

The glow of these white Datura wrightii blooms is almost supernatural. 

We were given Datura wrightii seeds a few years ago and told to smash them into the ground with our shoes in the fall. They came up and have continued to thrive in the gravelly soil on the sides of our house for years. Sacred Datura is definitely stunning. In the evenings, I can tell the sun is about to set because the air becomes strong with the beautiful scent as they open at night.

The bees don’t just hang out on the stamens, they go all the way into the flower. 

When we talk about supporting native plants, we usually shoot for plants that are found as locally as possible. The Sacred Datura is originally from Northern Mexico and the American Southwest, so it technically is not an Ohio native. Luckily they are in areas contained by concrete, so they are less likely to jump cultivation. 

Many people are scared of hallucinogenic plants, and I completely understand. Ingested in the wrong circumstances or if prepared by someone who is not a trained shaman, Datura could have deadly effects or cause permanent nerve damage. People who have tripped on it have reported days long nightmares. This is not a plant to try on your own. There are, however, whole religions based on working with this plant, so I will always have an open mind. It’s not my religion, but I respect this beauty. 

Bees popping in and out of Datura wrightii in the morning before the blooms droop in the sun. 

Pollinators also respect Sacred Datura. Mornings, while the blooms are still open, are abuzz with bees. In the evenings, I have seen all kinds of moths hovering around it, especially the beautiful hummingbird moths. This lovely mystical plant has a very special place in my heart.

Aaand there’s an amazing female mariachi band that is named after this sacred flower: Flor de Toloache.

Great band, great name.