Datura wrightii
Family: Solenaceae
Plant Description: Erect branching herbs from a perennial rootstock, up to 1.5 m high. Leaves ovate, alternate, to 15 cm long. Flowers fragrant, opening at night or on cloudy days; corollas white, trumpet shaped, 15 cm or longer. Fruit globose, prickly capsules about 3 cm broad.
Plant Trivia: Leaves and seeds contain alkaloids that are narcotic, usually poisonous. (true of many members of the Solanaceae family). D. wrightii was named in honor of Charles Wright, one of the best-known American botanists in the 19th C. Internationally this plant is considered an invasive species, however it is not listed as so in Texas.
Field Identification:
Occurrence: Landscaping areas, bird and butterfly gardens; some escape seeds have germinated in the wild.
Bloom Period: March-November
Plant Use: The night blooming flowers are pollinated b Sphinx moths.
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