Datura flower broom white. All about growing datura (datura-grass) in your flower garden. Planting material preparation

One of the most mysterious and legendary plants with amazingly beautiful tubular flowers is called Datura, which fully reflects the reputation of a powerful hallucinogen. In the scientific classification, it is called datura (lat. Dature). Expressive sprawling and fragrant bushes can bring southern, tropical notes to any planting. The pharmacological properties of the plant are still used in classical and traditional medicine, homeopathic practice. This is a traditionally popular source of various manipulations and legends in religious teachings and rituals, the occult.

Description

Datura or Datura is a genus of plants in the nightshade family. These are tall grasses, in the environment natural habitat grow like evergreen shrubs, differ in large leaves, decorative fragrant flowers with a flare at the end. Perennial plant due to cold winters grown in gardens middle lane as a seasonal annual. It grows as a beautiful spreading bush, standing out with large velvet leaves and spectacular tubular bell flowers.

Stem glabrous, erect, branched, hollow, triple-forked. Sometimes acquires a red-violet color at the base. It has a taproot branched root. The leaves are alternate, on long petioles, oval-pointed. Top part dark green, lower - lighter. Their size varies significantly on the same plant. The basal leaves are narrow, long, lanceolate, and have a shorter petiole.

Shoots can grow up to one and a half meters in length. The first powerful shoot, when it reaches a height of 30 cm, forks, giving way to a conical bud, from which a tightly folded flower is formed. It gradually grows in length, at the end unfolding into a large single funnel with a diameter of about 20 cm. The color is found from white to various shades of lilac, yellow, cream. After the first flower, you need to wait 1-2 weeks for the next ones, they appear at the branching nodes, their number is constantly increasing and reaches a maximum by autumn, when several flowers bloom at the same time every night.

Flowers solitary, large. The corolla is funnel-shaped. Calyx pentagonal, serrated, long-tubular. Each of them blooms only one night, but the overall flowering until frost is very plentiful. Long funnels open only at dusk, filling night air exotic scent.

The fruit is a large, four-celled, multi-seeded ovoid capsule with thorns. Datura bears fruit in August, September. Seeds are rounded, irregularly reniform, compressed, with a large notched surface, black. They have amazing endurance, do not lose their germination for decades.

The structure of dope

Species and varieties

There are many ordinary, terry and semi-double forms - their classification is not completely settled, and is still difficult. In ornamental plantations, there are mainly two species of plants of the genus Datura.

Datura vulgaris- in natural conditions at home, a weed, a powerful herbaceous plant, an annual, reaches a height of 1.5 m. It is characterized by a smaller size of flowers, due to its poor decorative effect it is rarely grown in cultivated plantations.

Datura Indian- a very ornamental plant, a perennial that is grown as an annual. The bush is strongly branched, the trunk is lignified in the lowest part, petiolate leaves are relatively large.

Varieties of Datura Indian are represented by numerous hybrids.

The variety series "Ballerina" with spectacular flowers of white, yellow, white-violet, purple color is very popular. Plants are relatively cold hardy.

Datura variety series "Ballerina"

The Medea hybrid is popular with large white flowers of a simple shape, with bent edges, up to 15-20 cm long.

Datura Indian or harmless found in the middle lane, distinguished by single white flowers, very poisonous, grown for medicinal purposes, has two subspecies.

Photogallery of species

Cultivation and care

Datura is an unpretentious plant, it grows more in breadth than up. In bright light, a beautiful lush bush is formed, blooms profusely, with good care- before late autumn. In partial shade it looks much more modest, in deep shade it can lose leaves and even die.

During active growth large leaves evaporate a large number of moisture, so the plant requires abundant regular watering. With a lack of moisture, the plant can shed all the leaves and buds, so you need to maintain the humidity of the surrounding air. It is especially important to keep the soil evenly moist. It should be drained, nutritious, rich in organic matter. Avoid acidic soils.

Datura Indian

The datura plant is so powerful that it is difficult to overfeed it. Until the end of summer, top dressing should be a weekly full mineral fertilizer (20 g per 10 l), mineral and organic fertilizers can be alternated. For flowering, watering with hard water is recommended, as an option, let's say a single watering with lime milk at a concentration of 1 g / l. From time to time, in order to avoid corrosion of the foliage, the leaves should be sprayed with warm water without lime impurities.

With a lack of water and nutrition, folded tubes of datura flowers may not bloom. Faded flowers must be removed. In place of flowers, prickly fruits resembling a nut appear by autumn. Seeds fully ripen in 1-2 months.

Datura plantings should not be thickened; the distance between individual bushes should be at least a meter. When growing and caring for datura, care should be taken - the plant is poisonous.

Semi-double form of datura

reproduction

Datura is grown from seeds or cuttings.

The cuttings are rooted in warm water or substrate for a couple of weeks. Healthy ripened shoots with 2-3 nodes are suitable for propagation of Datura by cuttings, an incision is made right under the node, the leaves are removed, the leaves that have withered during the rooting process are cut in half. A transparent bag and a warm place will ensure quick rooting. After the appearance of the first leaves, after 10 days, you can remove the bag and let the plants acclimatize. The substrate is prepared from a combination of vermiculite, peat, sphagnum and perlite. To accelerate the growth of cuttings, growth stimulants are used. When planting, moisten the substrate and slightly crush it. Cuttings are placed in a small depression up to the first leaf.
The seeds are quite large various shapes, sown for seedlings in the spring, 10 weeks before the last frost. The preparation of planting material deserves special attention. The seeds are placed in a container of suitable size, poured with warm water, left for half an hour, the floating specimens are discarded, the water is drained, the seeds are dried. If desired, the seeds are soaked in a growth stimulator.

Ripe fruit with seeds

To grow datura from seeds, you can collect them yourself - the achenes are tied with gauze so as not to miss the moment of opening the fruits and spilling the seeds.

How to plant dope seedlings? A little peat is added to the bottom of the container, and the soil mixture is on top. Seeds spread on the surface, sprinkled thin layer compost. At first, light is excluded by covering the crops, or moving them to a dark place. Seedlings are expected after 2-4 weeks. The germination temperature is from 10-12, the optimum is 25 C. After the appearance of the first sprouts, the container is transferred to a sufficiently lit place. Seedlings are watered, covered with glass. Crops are often aired, the glass is wiped. After the appearance of 2-3 leaves, the seedlings dive, planting them in separate pots, buried in the ground.

In early June, the plant is transferred to the ground, before which the seedlings are gradually hardened. By the time of planting in an open place, seedlings should reach 15 cm in height. When transplanting, it is important to preserve the roots.

Young plants obtained in any way, especially from cuttings, bloom in the first year, with early spring sowing - from the second half of summer. Autumn shoots do not overwinter in the ground. Once planted, Datura easily propagates by self-seeding. hybrid varieties when self-sowing, they lose their characteristics.

Datura seedling

Wintering

In the middle lane, datura is considered a tub plant, so it spends summer outdoors and winter in a cool room with good lighting, high humidity protected from drafts. If there is no suitable room, planting can be limited to ordinary white dope, which successfully grows by self-sowing.

The plant successfully winters in bright room with a temperature not higher than 16 C, optimally 10-12 C. With a warmer content, the shoots of datura are stretched and weakened. In winter, water rarely, slightly maintaining the moisture of the substrate. Some leaves may fall off, but optimal conditions the plant will not only completely retain the leaves, but may even bloom. Over the winter, shoots grow from awakening buds. Winter buds weaken the plant, it is better to remove them immediately. Losing part of the leaves in winter, plants definitely need pruning in spring.

Datura can be grown in a tub as a perennial.

The overwintered plant in February-March, before the start of the growing season, is transferred to a fresh substrate, shortening the shoots. A substrate is recommended from a greenhouse, clay-soddy soil, sand, a ratio of 2: 4: 1, humus, peat, sand can be equally combined. It is important to provide drainage and a drainage hole. At large plants change upper layer earth.

Diseases, pests

Datura is quite resistant to diseases and pests. Unfavorable conditions increase the likelihood of damage by pests: aphids, red spider mites. The threat is also represented by: forest bug, weevil, whitefly.

Of the diseases, the most common is gray rot.

Datura is self-sufficient, against the background of the lawn

Use in landscape design

Datura can be grown in group, single plantings, effectively fill the background of mixborders. Branchy bushes with noticeable flowers will decorate any flower garden, at the same time fill the garden with aroma. Indian datura is good as a potted, container specimen.

Datura rather spreads along the ground than stretches in height. This spreading plant can be used in plantations, covering empty places after flowering of early-flowering perennials, from which there is practically nothing left in the middle of summer. To raise the "floating" dope flowers to eye level, you can build a support from several branches.

Datura in the landscape

The datura plant has taken root around the world, not least thanks to a variety of pharmacological properties. Its psychotropic effect, anti-asthma effect is widely used. It is a natural drug, antidote, antidepressant, prophylactic from rabies, tetanus.

DATURA

Photo: Datura, Crimea. The local climate is favorable for planting dope in open ground.

A plant-medicine, a plant-mystery, a plant-poison, a plant-legend - all this is about one representative of the floristic kingdom, growing in landfills or along roads like weeds - about dope.

Quite ordinary, often settling near housing, dope even puzzled scientists with its appearance in Europe. There are still discussions about where his homeland is. Some claim that middle Asia or the Caspian regions, while others insist that Central America or Mexico.

The hallucinogenic properties of dope, its ability to cause amnesia or aggression have been known for many hundreds of centuries. The plant was used by shamans, healers, alchemists, sorcerers and even murderers.

Currently, Datura is used not only in official and folk medicine, but also grown as an ornamental crop in flower beds.

Photo: Datura / Datura flower looks up, while Brugmansia looks down. Brugmansia is often mistakenly called datura or dope.

Systematics and names

The genus Datura (Datura) is a member of the Solanaceae (Nightshade) family from the class dicot plants(Department Angiosperms).

One of the versions of the origin of the name Datura (Datura) is the Sanskrit word "prickly". According to another version, the word "datura" is converted from "tatura", an Arabic verb meaning "to prick".

As for the popular names, Datura has several dozen of them. In almost every region or region, this plant is called in its own way:
bad grass; bodyak; devil grass; divtree; stupid-grass; prickly apples; cocklebur; grass of sorcerers; foolish; crazy grass; badura; water drunk; devil apples; foolish potion; damn grass; smelly dope.

Photo: Indian dope (Datura metel), Blackcurrant Swirl variety

Most of the names are associated with appearance dope, its chemical properties and use in various magical and ritual rites.

Currently, dope is often called the Latin name - datura.

Some names explain legends or beliefs. Once a cunning devil decided to rob the garden of an honest and hardworking peasant. Archangel Michael saw from heaven how the unclean eats apples, without even chewing, just swallowing them out of greed. Wanting to teach the thief a lesson, the archangel turned red ripe apples into green prickly non-edible fruits, which with all their thorns dug the devil into the throat. The demon howled in pain and ran away from the garden to his underworld. And the plant remained as a reminder of the strength of the heavenly warriors. And people called the green thorns "devil's apples."

Another legend tells that Datura was grown by the devil himself, so that everyone who tries this plant would lose his mind.

The area and place of biocenoses

Different species of the Datura genus grow in different climatic zones. Datura grows equally well in warm temperate, tropical and subtropical climates. There is he in the forest-steppes, steppes, on the edges of the forest or glades. In Europe, Datura common is usually found in wastelands, along roadsides, near housing, preferring wet places.

Photo: Indian Datura (Datura metel), Golden Queen variety

Morphological characteristics

The life forms of representatives of the genus Datura are annual herbaceous plants. Some species can be semi-woody, reaching a height of 1.7 m. Herbaceous species are lower: 0.5-1.5 m. A feature of datura is that growth in width is more intense than growth upwards.

Tap root system with a pronounced, well-developed main root, penetrating deep into the substrate.

Stems erect, glabrous, branched.

The leaves are simple, elliptical and ovate with a pointed edge, on petioles. edge leaf blade with big teeth. The leaves are dull, pubescent, with a "velvet effect" (not in all species). The dorsal surface of the leaf is darker than the ventral (lower) surface. The leaf arrangement is alternate.

The flowers are white, cream, yellow, light purple or white with a lilac edge (like Indian Datura). They are located singly, often at the points of the beginning of branching of shoots of the second strand. In shape - large, bell-shaped, with a double perianth. Their size sometimes reaches 20 cm in diameter and 25 cm in length. On one plant, 20 buds can open at the same time. Each of them lives for a day. AT hot weather tubular flowers open closer to dusk, wither by noon the next day. In cloudy weather, the flowers are open during the day.

The calyx consists of five fused sepals, and the wreath consists of five petals fused into a tube. Stamens five, pistil one, consists of two carpels, ovary superior.

To attract pollinating insects, Datura uses a characteristic strong smell. It is especially evident in the evening in dry weather, very fragrant, often reminiscent of the smell of a lily.

The fruit is a box with four nests, covered with thorns. In some species, the fruit dries up and disintegrates, in others it remains fleshy. Seeds are black, small, numerous: one box can contain up to 800 seeds. One large developed dope during the growing season can produce up to 50 thousand seeds.

From an evolutionary point of view, Datura is the most advanced member of the Solanaceae family.

Photo: Datura fruit and seeds. Ingestion of only a small pinch of seeds can be fatal.

Chemical composition

All parts of the plant contain alkaloids related to hyascyamine. These substances are called daturins - in honor of the genus Datura. The content of these substances in different types of dope varies. The percentage of alkaloids in parts of the plant is also different: in the stems, their amount does not exceed 0.15%, and in the roots and seeds it can reach 0.25-0.27%.

Daturins, similar in composition and properties to atropines, have a similar effect on the body: increase pressure, block secretion, increase heart rate, and block accommodation.

Various daturins, which are part of the plant, affect the central nervous system in different ways. For example, scopolamine reduces the excitability of the central nervous system, and hyoscyamine - increases. Therefore, at the initial stage of poisoning with Datura alkaloids, a person can behave aggressively or, on the contrary, is inhibited.

Poisoning

The first signs of poisoning:
dilated pupils;
dry mouth;
headache;
rapid pulse;
thirst;
hoarseness of voice;
motor excitation.

Subsequently, auditory and / or visual hallucinations, speech impairment, coma may begin.
In case of dope poisoning, it is necessary to wash the stomach, take absorbent substances and immediately consult a doctor.

Photo: Common Datura (Datura stramonium)

Species of the genus Datura

According to some data, 13 species are attributed to the genus Datura, according to others - there are 9 of them. The most common type of moderate climate zone- dope ordinary, was described by the Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus. He formed the specific Latin name from two Greek words: "nightshade" and "insane".

Datura ordinary (Datura stramonium)- nomenclatural type, which served as a description of the genus. The species has several forms, including purple dope (Datura stramonium var. tatula) with white-violet and purple flowers small size. It is practically never found in decorative culture.

Indian Datura (Datura metel)- an Asian species with a vast range, including the Central, Middle, South Asia, capturing part of China and almost the entire territory of India (hence the name). In Asia, this type of Datura has been widely used as a medicinal plant for thousands of years, and is also often grown as an ornamental plant. Datura Indian has very large flowers, in addition, the plant is revered as sacred, calling it the "flower of Shiva." It is believed that if you grow it near the house, then Shiva will bless the house and its inhabitants.

Datura awesome (Datura ferox)- Asian species introduced in East Africa.

Datura Indian (Datura innoxia)- a species whose homeland is Central and South America. Introduced in Europe and Asia. Similar to Datura common, but they are easy to distinguish by the leaves. In Indian Datura, they are solid, without teeth. In addition, his flowers are much larger than those of Datura ordinary. Known as an ornamental plant.

Datura sacred (Datura wrightii)- a species native to North America, used as a medicinal and decorative. Local tribes used its hallucinogenic properties and called it the "sacred prickly apple."

Datura horn-stem or horn-shaped (Datura ceratocaula)- a sacred plant of the Aztecs, with the help of which priests and shamans communicated with gods and spirits, other worlds and the dead. Those who were not initiated, under pain of death, were forbidden to use Datura.

Previously, woody perennials were attributed to the genus Datura, which were then identified as a separate genus. brugmansia . But some sources still contain outdated data. For example, blood-red Brugmansia can now sometimes be found in the list of species of the genus Datura.

The main external differences between Datura and Brugmansia are as follows:
Plant type: datura - herbaceous, brugmansia - shrub or tree
Height: brugmansia above datura
Flowers: hanging down in Brugmansia, raised up in Datura
Fruits: Brugmansia are smooth, Datura have thorns.

Photo: Indian dope variety (Datura innoxia), growing in a pot. side shoots supported by bamboo sticks, which makes the bush look uplifted, and the flowers are clearly visible.

Conditions for growing Datura

How an ornamental plant is grown different kinds dope. But usually varieties are used or garden molds, because they are more spectacular: they have larger flowers, the petals have different shades, there are terry forms.

Datura are heat-loving plants and greater territory In Russia they are grown through seedlings as an annual. They are unpretentious, bloom all summer and even autumn until frost. They can be used in flower beds in companies with perennials and annuals or as a standalone plant.

Noteworthy is the experience of planting datura between spring perennials, which, after withering, lose their decorative effect ( tulips , daffodils, poppies). The dope growing in width will fill unsightly places.

Another option for the existence of datura in our climate is growing in pots and tubs. Such specimens can be transferred to the terrace, balcony and other room if it gets cold outside. You can settle dope in a greenhouse or winter garden avoiding north windows. Under conditions similar to natural conditions, datura is grown in the winter garden as a perennial plant.

Datura is so easy to care for that during the growing season, in addition to watering, it only needs to remove wilted flowers, which stimulates the duration of flowering. In this case, the plant will spend energy on the formation of new buds, and not on the ripening of fruits and seeds.

In houses where there are small children, planting dope should be approached especially carefully, and not leave the child alone with the flower. This way you can avoid accidental poisoning by the plant. You need to work with dope with gloves. And if the juice gets on the open part of the skin, it is urgent to wash it off with water.

Photo: Datura in culture. Altai region. Biysk

Lighting

All types of dope prefer to grow in sunny places. They love the sun and are not afraid sunburn but are affected by the wind. Many species that are used as ornamentals come from tropical and subtropical climates. Such plants, with a lack of light, do not grow well, give few buds, or even do not bloom at all. Therefore, datura wintering indoors often stretch out.

substrate

You need to plant dope in soil rich in organic matter. To do this, a month or two before planting, humus is added to the soil with the addition of sand and thoroughly mixed with garden soil. Such a mixture can be prepared in the fall.

If the substrate has not been prepared in advance, then before planting, you should not add humus, and even more so fresh manure, this can damage the roots of the plant, which are prone to fungal infections. In this case, compost is added to the garden soil.

Humidity and watering

Datura has a large leaf surface, which means a large loss of water due to evaporation. Therefore, the plant needs frequent watering, especially on hot summer days. After watering, the soil surface should dry out quickly so that pathogenic fungi do not settle on the root neck. The soil must be well-drained so that water does not stagnate at the roots.

Datura is recommended to spray: this good prevention against pests, but this should be done only in warm weather, and try not to get water on the flowers. During a cold snap, in cloudy, wet weather, dope is not watered or sprayed to avoid the appearance of fungal diseases.

fertilizers

Solid complex fertilizers contribute when planting seedlings in the ground. Datura is watered with liquid fertilizers several times a season: during the period of budding and once a month during the flowering period from July to September. With an excess amount nitrogen fertilizers dope will give a good green mass, but few buds, so you should not exceed the fertilizer application rate. It is better to use special complexes for flowering plants.

Photo: Datura Indian, variety series Ballerina - Datura metel Ballerina

In nature, Datura reproduces well by self-sowing, often turning into a weed. And in culture, its main method of reproduction is seed, that is, generative.

Growing Datura from seeds is easy, especially for someone who has experience growing seedlings. pepper , eggplant , tomato - his next of kin. Similar terms and conditions. In the Moscow region, the cultivation of datura seedlings from seeds begins in mid-March or 2-3 months before planting in a permanent place.

In the southern regions, direct sowing into the ground is possible, subject to the same temperature conditions, as in closed ground. The soil should warm up to a temperature of + 18-20 degrees.

For the substrate, a mixture of garden soil, compost (humus) and sand or fine perlite in a ratio of 3: 1: 1 is suitable. You can take 2 parts of humus. Before planting, the seeds can be kept in a weak solution of potassium permanganate or another fungicide, such as Fitosporin, to prevent infection. To improve germination, you can resort to seed stimulation: pour them hot water.

Video: Indian Datura (Datura inoxia) in Tennessee (USA). It is shown how, with the advent of twilight, the flowers of a plant that live only a day open. The abundance of unopened buds indicates a long flowering.

Sow the seeds in a moist, but not wet, substrate. The depth of embedding should not exceed half a centimeter.

All the time until the moment of germination, you need to monitor the soil moisture, not allowing it to dry out. Shoots appear only after 10-14 days at a temperature of about +20 degrees. But sometimes the process can be delayed, and the seeds will germinate only after 25-30 days.

To speed up the process, some flower growers germinate the seeds before sowing: they are kept in warm water at a temperature of + 25-30 degrees, changing it from time to time. Or place the seeds in a moistened zip bag, and place it in a bright and warm place. Occasionally ventilate, moisturize if necessary.

After sowing and emergence of seedlings, seedling containers should be in a well-lit place with an air humidity of 65-75%. Later, the humidity is gradually reduced. Seedlings dive when 2-3 true (not cotyledon) leaves appear.

Landing in open ground is carried out, depending on weather conditions, between May and June. The root neck is not deepened. Depending on the variety and place of planting, a distance between plants of 30-100 cm is observed. In case of a threat return frosts plants are covered with spunbond or film, the pots are brought into the room.

Datura varieties

One of the most spectacular are terry varieties of datura, for example, varieties of Indian Datura series "Ballerina" available to our flower growers. The series includes varieties with white, yellow, lilac corolla color and their mixture.
Yellow terry - Ballerina yellow, Yellow terry, Yellow knight.
Lilac terry - Purple Knight, Lilac terry.
White terry - White Knight.
A mixture of terry varieties - Tutu, Terry Giant.

More unpretentious non-terry varieties, for example, Troubadour, Medea, Evening fragrance. They have simple white flowers.

Vegetative reproduction

Vegetative propagation of dope is carried out using grassy cuttings. They easily root in a moist substrate without special rooters, but under a film or glass. Cut cuttings can first be placed in water, wait for the roots to appear, and then transplanted into the substrate. The length of the cutting should be approximately 12-15 cm - these are two or three internodes. The cuttings are rooted at the end of summer or autumn, kept indoors, and planted in open ground in spring.

Video: very interesting shots of dope pollination by insects. Species Datura inoxia - Indian Datura. Tennessee, USA .

Datura, is better known in the common people under the simple name "datura-grass". And, despite the fact that this plant is poisonous, growing from seeds is quite common in the decorative design of gardens. There is nothing surprising, because the intoxicating aroma of large white flowers, which begins to spread throughout the garden in the late afternoon, intoxicates and bewitches. Every evening, huge Datura flowers exude a marvelous delicate aroma that envelops.

In addition to the fact that this flower is incredibly beautiful, it is completely unpretentious in its care. Therefore, even a novice grower can grow datura from seeds. Self-growing dope at home is based on simple knowledge and skills.

In general, there are no difficulties in planting seeds and growing datura. Therefore, there is no need to study video instructions. Everything is described in detail in this article.

In fairness, it is worth saying that Datura flowers fade rather quickly, but this is compensated by the fact that there are a lot of them on the bush. Saddens gardeners and the fact that the beauty of the plant is quite insidious, it hides a terrible property - its poisonousness. Everything in Datura is poisonous: stems, leaves, flowers and even roots. "Crazy Potion", and that's what the people also call datura, got this vernacular name for the properties of the plant, which, when taken orally, causes fantastic hallucinations and delirium, and in large doses leads to long-term mental disorders, insanity, memory loss. Datura has often been used in history to poison victims of political conspiracies and swindlers.

Growing Datura

The homeland of Datura, as well as most exotic plants, is Asia, although today the plant is cultivated as a garden plant in many countries of the world, and in some of them it even grows as a weed.

Datura is a perennial strongly branching herbaceous plant, with a powerful root system, reaching a height of up to 1.5 m. Datura flowers can be either white or yellow, purple, pink and even purple, and the fruits of the plant are ovoid, multi-seeded four-leaved boxes , outside completely covered with small spikes.

Growing datura is a simple process, even for a novice gardener, but I will tell you one secret - Datura feels best on an ordinary dung or compost heap. Not knowing how to disguise a dunghill, I have been choosing a plant for it for a long time and, after reading the recommendations of numerous gardeners, I chose the Datura, which fit just perfectly. This is amazing plant not only disguised the dunghill with its decorative leaves and flowers, but also completely interrupted with its amazing aroma coming from the heap, to put it mildly, not a very pleasant smell 🙂

In central Russia, Datura is grown as a seasonal annual, but if you remove the plant before the first frost in the room, it can also be grown as a perennial. True, this requires space, it will not work to grow datura on the windowsill, in my room she won a corner of 1.5 square meters. m.

The soil mixture for sowing datura seeds must be prepared in advance, I do it in the fall, and ideally it should consist of 2 parts of sifted garden soil, 1 part of large river sand and 2 parts of humus. I sow dope seeds for seedlings at the end of March, and in open ground at the beginning of May, choosing the warmest sunny places for its cultivation.

Due to the fact that Datura seeds have a low germination energy, its first shoots appear only 10-30 days after sowing. In order to speed up the germination of seeds, I fill them with hot water, discard the floating ones, and sow the rest.

Before germination, the soil must always be moist, for this I cover the seed container with plain paper. After the appearance of the first shoots of datura, I transfer the seedlings to a fairly cool, but well-lit place, and with the advent of 2 true leaves, I proceed to pick it. I carefully plant the seedlings, deepening them under the very cotyledons, this only benefits the plant.

I plant datura in open ground at the end of May, at a distance of about 1 m from each other, I repeat - the plant loves space very much. For planting datura, you need to choose a windproof, sunny place without drafts, which the plant does not tolerate.

Datura seeds germinate from a depth not exceeding 10 cm, remember this when planting the plant directly in open ground.

Perfectly propagated by Datura and cuttings. Why, in mid-September, a non-lignified cutting of a plant with 2-3 internodes is cut off and rooted - in plain water or directly in the ground. In May, a plant rooted in the fall and already fairly grown up must be planted in open ground. If you are growing datura as a perennial, transferring it to winter time into the room, then its cuttings can be rooted throughout the year.

The flowering phase begins in Datura 3 weeks after sowing.

Datura Care

Datura very unpretentious plant and needs, perhaps, only nutritious loose soil, pruning and abundant watering, it is from him, by the way, that the constant flowering of the plant depends.

It is advisable to water the datura every other day, and if the summer is hot, then every day. If you intend to continue growing datura indoors, as a houseplant, then in winter period significantly reduced - up to once a week. The same should be done with supplements. During the development period, we feed Datura weekly with full mineral and organic matter, alternating top dressing, and stop feeding during the dormant period that occurs in the plant in winter. On acidic soils, it is recommended to shed the plant with lime milk once a season (1 g per 1 liter of water).

The second prerequisite for successful cultivation datura as a perennial - pruning. This is due to the fact that flowers on datura are formed only on young shoots. Therefore, with the onset of autumn, after flowering, it is necessary to cut the branches of the plant, thus forming the crown of the datura. To activate the flowering of datura, you need to regularly remove the faded heads, leaving only those fruits that formed instead of the very first flowers for seeds. Datura seeds ripen only two months after the formation of the ovaries.

Growing datura in the first year, I never managed to collect my seeds, and the thing is that when they ripened, they literally instantly crumbled to the ground. In order to prevent this, in subsequent years I began to put bags of ordinary nylon tights on the “bumps”.

Types of Datura

More recently, a number of species were attributed to the genus Datura, which today are separated into an independent genus - Brugmansia: Brugmansia arborea, Brugmansia vulcanicola, Brugmansia versicolor, Brugmansia aurea, Brugmansia suaveolens and BrugmansiaB sanguinea. Although until now, these species are often found on sale under the name Datura.

Today, the Datura genus includes only herbaceous plants with characteristic large bell-shaped flowers growing exclusively upwards (and not downwards like Brugmansia).

Datura stramonium – common Datura

Datura stramonium - common Datura. A plant with large solid leaves, and gorgeous flowers with a funnel folded white corolla.

Datura metel - Indian Datura

Datura metel - Indian Datura, a plant with large beautiful flowers. The Indian dope got its name because it is most common in India, where it is considered a sacred plant, and they call it the “flower of Shiva”.

Datura Innoxia - Indian Datura

Datura Innoxia - Indian Datura, prefers to grow in wastelands, sometimes forming entire thickets. It is an annual plant characterized by intense bad smell and beautiful large white funnel-shaped flowers, located singly in the forks of branches.

Datura stramonium var. tatula - dope, characterized by an extremely beautiful lilac-bluish color of flowers.

Datura stramonium f. inermis is a Datura variety in high demand due to the complete absence of thorns on the fruit.

Some beautiful photos datura:

Reputed to be exotic decor garden plot. Its large white flowers look beautiful in many landscape compositions and, in addition, exude a unique aroma. But do not forget that this culture is very toxic! So that growing datura in the open field does not become a problem, it is important to choose suitable grade, do proper fit and provide culture with competent care.

Description: varieties and varieties of dope grass

Datura is an annual shrub with a shoot length of 1-1.5 m in open ground. Grows more in width than in length. The plant is densely covered with foliage of a green-gray hue. The young bush in the photo resembles eggplant seedlings.

Common varieties of dope:

Ordinary - huge leaves and snow-white flowers;
Indian - purple-white buds;
Indian - a vigorous shrub with white petals and an unpleasant aroma.

common dope

With proper care, Datura forms huge bells with a delicate aroma. They fade in less than a day. Flowering begins at the beginning of summer, becomes massive only in August, and ends in October:

First, dope forms a shoot about 30 cm long.
The shoot forks and releases a bud. It gradually grows up to 20-25 cm.
After ripening, the bud opens quickly. The flower is a bell 15-20 cm in diameter.
The color of the flowers is usually white, sometimes with cream, lemon and other pastel shades.

Attention! The bud opens at dusk literally before our eyes and lives until the end of the morning chill.

Datura: planting a plant

In the climate of the middle lane, the cultivation of Datura grass is limited by frosty winters. Of course, you can practice maintenance and care in the house for 5-6 months. However, an ordinary window sill is not suitable for growing: only a spacious part of the room, with an area of at least 1.5 square meters. m. Datura seedlings are planted in open ground. It takes place in May.

Planting seeds for seedlings is carried out in March, but the soil is prepared in the fall. Substrate composition:

40% of the sifted soil from the garden;
40% humus;
20% coarse sand.

Pre-sort the seeds: place in a container of hot water for several hours. Floated specimens are not suitable for landing. Moisten the soil in the seedling container, and slightly deepen the seeds. Maintain room temperature and soil moisture, cover the pot with a sheet of plain paper and wait for seedlings in 2-3 weeks.

Datura seeds

After they appear:

Move the container to a cool and bright place.
Dive the plant after the formation of a pair of true leaves. Landing in a new place is carried out at the height of the cotyledons.
In open ground, even a compost or dung heap is perfect for Datura. The main thing is to choose a plant in a well-warmed, calm place.
Plant seedlings at least 1 m apart. Hole width - 50 cm, depth - 70 cm.
Lay a layer of drainage on the bottom.
Datura flowering occurs 20-25 days after planting.

Attention! In warm regions, planting seeds directly in open ground is allowed. The depth of their embedding is up to 10 cm. Also, the cultivation of dope is sometimes carried out directly in containers. For the summer they are taken out into the air and added dropwise on the site.

Datura care

The varieties of this crop are unpretentious in matters of irrigation, fertilizer, care. In order for the flower to grow and develop normally, keep the soil loose and moist. Can be added periodically wood ash. Water dope 3-4 r. in Week. In dry summers, it can be more often. In winter, indoor watering is reduced to 1 p. in Week.

Advice. Use hard water for irrigation.

In Datura, only young shoots bloom. In autumn, all old ones should be cut off. In addition, this way you can form the crown of a shrub. During active flowering, remove drooping buds.

Fertilizer and feeding datura

Part of the plant care procedure is to support the nutritional value of the soil:

For active growth, dope needs top dressing

In spring and summer, before flowering, fertilize datura with organic matter once a week in combination with mineral complexes (in a week).
In winter, the plant in the container does not need to be fed. If the soil is acidic, water it every spring with a solution of lime: 1 g per 1 liter of water.

Advice. As mineral fertilizer often use granular mixtures for vegetables.

Propagation of a plant at home

In the case of datura, propagation by seeds or cuttings is used. To collect seed, remove the seed pods after the first flowers have withered. For 2 months they should be put in a dry and dark place. Make sure that the box does not crack, and the seeds do not fall into the ground. The shrub in this way willingly reproduces by self-sowing.

For cuttings, cut off part of the shoot with a pair of internodes. Further:

shorten all large leaves by half;
prepare light soil;
soak the cutting in root stimulator.

Advice. Propagation by cuttings is usually carried out in September or mid-March, with spring planting on the site.

Diseases and pests of dope grass

Since the plant is poisonous, most fungal infections and insect pests simply do not take root on it. Sometimes on the leaves of a plant you can find a whitefly or spider mite. Preventive spraying with Bordeaux mixture in May or June will help get rid of these pests. If signs of insect reproduction are already evident, treat the plant with a special fungicide.

Datura is very rarely attacked by pests

Outwardly, datura can wither and look unhealthy and improper care. For example, when growing in a cool or too shaded place, improper watering.

Datura: combination with other plants

Datura creeping along the earth has excellent decorative properties. If there is a support, he can braid it, rising by 1-2 m. Green corner it will be nice to visit in the evening hours or show your friends in the photo. Datura of different varieties is used in flower beds to replace early flowering perennials in the composition.

The material from which novice flower growers can find out how dangerous Datura is and how to grow it on a personal plot.

Very often, flower growers who professionally grow various ornamental plants are trying to get more information about Datura flower, a photo and description of this plant, as well as methods for growing it. From the article below you can get all necessary information about this question.

Datura has many different names. The scientific name of this plant is Datura, but there are also popular names for the flower - crazy grass, water drunk, bad drunk, bodyak, sorcerer's grass, devil's grass and, of course, dope.

Plant height is on average from half a meter to one meter.
The stem of the datura is erect, without thorns.
The leaves are ovoid and pointed at the end. The size of the leaves can reach 10 centimeters in width and 15 centimeters in length. The color of the leaves is rich green, the vein of white color stands out well.
The flowers are funnel-shaped and large. The color of the flowers can be completely different - white, pink, purple, yellow, purple. Datura flower is amazingly beautiful, as can be seen in the photo.
Datura also gives fruits in which seeds are hidden. The seed pod is egg-shaped and divided into 4 segments. Outside, the fruits are studded with thorns. The number of seeds in such a box can reach two hundred units.

Datura flowers

Often flower growers are scared off by the opinion of the toxicity of the plant. It should be figured out how dangerous a dope flower can be (photo and description), and whether it is poisonous. Datura has hallucinogenic properties caused by hyoscyamine. This and other substances contained in datura are actively used in medicine, but it is strictly forbidden to use them at home. The site site recommends always consulting with specialists before using traditional medicine.

Their poisoning can lead to death. Growing dope flowers as ornamental plant safe enough.

Datura flower

There are several versions of the appearance of datura in the European part, but only two of them claim to be plausible. According to the first version, Datura was brought by colonists from America during its development along with potatoes and other nightshade plants. According to the second version, it is believed that the homeland of Datura is the Asian part, from where it was brought by nomadic gypsies.

The use of Datura is seen in various occult rituals. Even Indian tribes used Datura flower for their rituals, causing massive hallucinations. It was believed that in this way one could see the future or comprehend the secret worlds. Datura is also mentioned in the works of Carlos Castaneda, where he calls it the herb of the devil.

Indian datura

It is believed that the cultivation of Datura is one of the easiest. But you need to know in advance what climatic conditions the Datura flower likes (photo and description) and where it grows best.

Growing Datura

The easiest way to grow datura is from seed. They can be assembled independently, or purchased at a flower shop. Seeds have a good percentage of germination and retain these properties for more than 10 years. The site site recommends purchasing seeds only from trusted companies.

The soil for growing datura should be well lit. sunlight, protected from the wind and quite loose. Before planting, the soil should be well fertilized with mineral fertilizers.
In order for Datura to bloom earlier, it should be grown in seedlings. Seeds are sown in the container in early March. It should be borne in mind that the seed germination rate is rather low, and they can germinate for up to a month.
The temperature regime during germination should be 18-20 degrees. The soil should be slightly damp during this time.
Planting in open ground is carried out in May. At this time, the threat of frost is minimal, and the plant will not die. Minimum temperature for healthy plant considered 6 degrees.
Datura bushes can reach quite impressive sizes, so each Datura flower (photo and description) is planted at a distance of more than a meter from each other.
The flowers are most commonly grown as annuals, but they can also be grown as perennials. To do this, before the onset of frost, you need to dig up the bushes and move them to a place where they can be stored.

plant care

Datura in pots

Every plant needs proper care. If you approach the cultivation of dope flowers responsibly, then it will certainly please you with worthy results.

With prolonged growth, the bushes begin to take up a lot of space. If you plant them too close, then get good flowering will not work. Plants will interfere with each other. An option could be single landings dope, the flower of which will stand out perfectly, or small group plantings, where each bush will complement each other.
Datura flowers wither very quickly, but they appear in large quantities on each bush. Removing wilted flowers will help increase the duration of flowering. At right approach you can observe the flowering process until autumn.
Irrigation plays an important role in the growth of flowers. It should be plentiful, and on hot days also frequent.
Datura grows very quickly, which means that it needs a large amount nutrients. Do not forget to periodically feed it with organic and mineral-based fertilizers.
At low temperatures the plant dies. If you wish to grow it on next year, then you can transplant for the winter in a fairly warm room.
If datura is grown as a perennial plant, then regular pruning should be done. Flowers appear only on new shoots.

There are specially bred varieties for growing in flower pots. Variety dope flower (photo and description) yellow ballerina is the most prominent representative of this species. The height of such a bush rarely exceeds 50 cm. It has stunning yellow tubular flowers. Each flower is about 10 cm in diameter and 20 cm long.

yellow ballerina

Caring for such varieties is much easier. Their compact size allows you to plant more bushes in one area.

Datura reproduction

Datura is well propagated by seeds and cuttings.

The selection of cuttings should begin in early autumn. As planting material, sections of the stem are selected that have not yet had time to stiffen. Such a section should be 2-3 internodes long. The cutting needs to be rooted. For this, it is placed in plain water or directly into the soil. Transplantation into the ground is carried out in May. By this time, the dope will already be fairly grown.

There is another way to breed a dope flower (photo and description) - propagation by seeds. Different varieties have their own percentage of germination, but this is compensated large quantity seeds. It is recommended to choose a seedling planting method.

The soil for plants is prepared in advance. You need to take two parts of humus, two parts of garden soil and one part of river sand. Seeds are planted in early spring, and transplanted into open ground in May, when the threat of frost completely disappears. The first shoots appear after 10 days, but the main part will germinate within a month.

If you plant seeds directly in open ground, then you need to take into account their germination. Seeds planted more than 10 centimeters deep have a very low chance of germinating.

Wintering

In open ground, dope dies very quickly. Any frost will lead to a rapid death of flowers. Therefore, if you want to keep your pets, they must be transplanted to warm places with sufficient lighting for the winter. As a rule, they are transferred to a house or to an insulated balcony. However, due to its toxic properties, dope is not advisable to keep in the house.

After wintering, the bush will be weakened. Usually datura sheds leaves, and with the approach of spring, it begins to increase the leafy mass again. Such plants will be less viable than those grown from seeds or propagated by cuttings. For these reasons, Datura is most commonly grown as an annual crop.

Learn in more detail how you can properly grow a Datura flower (photo and description) on the video.

Collection of planting material

As practice shows, the best results in terms of germination are given by seeds at the place where the first flowers appear. This means that they are the best to use for breeding.

After the seeds ripen, the seed pods begin to open. Here you need not to miss the moment, otherwise the seeds will begin to spill out. It is better to foresee this moment and put a bag of gauze on them. It will not interfere with the movement of natural processes, but the seeds will be completely intact.

seed pod

Seeds remain viable for quite a long time, but every year it will become lower and lower.

The use of dope

The alkaloids contained in the plant are used in medicine for the preparation of various preparations. In the correct dosage, the substances that the Datura flower contains (photo and description) cause a calming effect in various mental disorders, are used for pain relief, heart and lung diseases. Datura has been used in folk medicine since ancient times.

Now on the Internet you can often find recipes based on Datura. In some cases, they can really help, but it is undesirable to self-medicate in this way. Poisoning with alkaloids can cause not only hallucinations, but also lead to many mental disorders. Severe poisoning often causes death of a person. The site site strongly recommends that you consult with a medical specialist of the appropriate qualification before using such traditional medicine.

dope bush

Most often, teenagers come with poisoning with Datura alkaloids. Wishing to experience the effect of hallucinations, they eat the seeds of the plant. Fifteen seeds are enough to get a sufficient dose of poisoning and the whole range of accompanying symptoms - dilated pupils, dry skin and hyperthermia, difficulty swallowing, palpitations, impaired coordination, hallucinations. If you experience these symptoms, you should immediately contact medical institution otherwise the outcome can be very sad.

Also, in the presence of small children, experts advise not to grow a Datura flower (photo and description), Datura is poisonous with any of its parts. The child's body is much more difficult to tolerate such poisoning.

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