Jimsonweed:

• Famously poisonous and famously beautiful member of the Nightshade family
• Often found in vacant lots or disturbed areas near creeks
• Datura wrightii is a California native. Sometimes called D. metaloides or D. intoxica. We also have D stramonium which is more common in the eastern US.
• The common name Jimsonweed refers to old Jamestown, Virginia
• Common name ‘Thornapple’ comes from the spiked fruiting body.
• All parts of the plant contain deadly neurotoxins. Datura has been used as an hallucinogen, but the risks of extreme illness or death make it a poor choice.
• Datura is sometimes referred to as a ruderal (rubble) plant, because it is often the first to colonize disturbed land. Datura are considered invasive in some parts pf the world.