From:Winchendon, MA Region: Southeast Topic: Non-Natives Title:
Non-native, invasive Datura sprouting from compost Answered by:
Nan Hampton I have a plant growing out of some compost we
purchased this spring and no one can tell me what it is. It's
about 4 ft. tall, the stem is maroon like rhubarb and it
produces 4-5 in. tubular light purple flowers with a long
stamen. It only opens in the early morning and late afternoon
and dies off the next day. It has no smell and produces an oval,
very thorny seed pod. The leaves look like oak leaves streched
long. Someone said it was an angel trumpet or a red pigroot, but
it's neither. It's driving me crazy!! Can you please help me?!!!
Thank You in advance. This sounds like one of the Datura,
probably Jimsonweed (Datura stramonium). It is an introduced
species from Asia, but can be found in nearly every state of the
U. S. Another non-native is D. metel, a native of India. D.
wrightii is a very similar native North American species. These
plants belong to the Family Solan