Datura inoxia is an annual shrubby plant that typically reaches a height of about 3 feet with a matching width. Its stems and leaves are covered with short soft grayish hairs, giving the whole plant a grayish appearance. It has elliptic edged leaves. All parts of the plant emit a foul odor similar to rancid peanut butter when crushed or bruised, although most people find the fragrance of the flowers to be quite pleasant when they bloom at night.

The flowers are white, trumpet-shaped, maybe about 3 or 4 inches long. They first grow upright, and later incline downward. It flowers from early summer until late fall. The blooms glow at night and last only until late morning.

The fruit is an egg-shaped spiny capsule. It splits open when ripe, dispersing the seeds. Another means of dispersal is by the fruit spines getting caught in the fur of animals, who then carry the fruit far from the mother plant. The seeds have hibernation capabilities, and can last for years in the soil. I've had several to come up in odd places in my yard, after having a mother plant in a pot years ago.

All parts of this plant are toxic.