Btw, this is the best she has done for me in 3 years. I have not yet let her seed, but I was walking in a quarry a few days ago and saw some plants that shouldnt be turning colours until fall. So I'm wondering if I should let her bear fruit with this last flower. Then start fresh next year, with what would be second generation seeds.
Name: Anne Summerville, SC (Zone 8a) Only dead fish go with the flow!
Let it make seeds .. the nice thing about datura is that they bloom the first year from seed ... I pretty much treat them as annuals.
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Name: Anne Summerville, SC (Zone 8a) Only dead fish go with the flow!
Not at all .. I would think that it weakens it. As you've noticed, it's only making a few flowers every year and I bet it made lots of flowers the first year. Being in a pot which restricts it roots is not helping it either because it also restricts the size and growth of the whole plant. Let yours make seeds.
Datura innoxia is a sprawler, it likes to stay low and spread out. I just took this picture of two of my plants ... you can see, both are loaded with buds.
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I lived in an apartment for the first 2 years. So not really, this is the first time I have had this many blooms. It had 2 blooms the first and 3 the second. 5 I believe this his year.
Name: Mother Raphaela Holy Myrrhbearers Monastery NY (Zone 4b)
We got a double Purple Datura last year and it did amazingly outside -- just left it in the ground and it made flowers and seeds like crazy. To our amazement, we had a volunteer Datura this summer which has managed to flower and make seed in one of the coldest and shortest summers on record (it's already been getting down to 43 degrees at night...) I'll try to grab a seed pod and store it in a paper bag right before the first hard frost to make sure some seeds have time to mature, then when they have, I'll bury it and hope for lots of snow cover again.
However, our purple Datura has morphed into a plain white one. So I guess the purple is just a fancy hybrid? At any rate, no one needs to write back, but here's our experience for what it's worth.
Imaeus said:So the fact that I kept her alive for three years doesnt contribute to the strength and longevity of the next generation?
I work till 4pm today, so here is one last picture.
Datura is a herbaceous perennial hardy to zone 9-10.(A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground. Herbaceous plants may be annuals, biennials or perennials.) They return in the garden or containers by seed where they are not hardy. I collect the seed and throw in a bed in late fall and early spring to create a hedge. Plants often appear in containers and other locations in my garden from reseeding. All parts of Datura are poisonous and could kill a small child or pet. Take precautions to clean your tools and soak in bleach after pruning Datura and always wash your hands thoroughly after handling or touching any part of the plant. What I enjoy most about Datura is I can enjoy the flowers & fragrance when they open in the evening until about noon.
I'm searching for a sunny shot for a hedge now
