unidentified plant

Hello everyone.

This is my first post so please excuse any mistakes.

Can anyone please help me identify this plant that has just self set and grown this year in my garden?

Thanks

 

Welcome to GC absonoid.

Your pics show a wild Datura.

 

much appriciated

 

Hi Absonoid and welcome.

Where are you situated. The reason I ask is that I am surprised it has self seeded, as its a tender plant. But Maybe Kedi knows if this is normal. I have sown a number of Datura seeds this year, including some, Kedi, from your sister Vicky but they have done very badly compared with last year when they did well. I can only put this down to the cold weather we have had in Yorkshire.

 

I've never seen one growing up here, Peter. The first time I saw a wild one growing was in Kroatsia in 1994 and they were growing like weeds, we couldn't believe it!

If absonoid lives in the south of England, then perhaps it is possible that they self-seed. I just know that they wouldn't either your way or mine.

 

Thanks Kedi.

Its always difficult to know what will self seed and what won't, if you weed things out when they are very small. To me plants that self seed are things that come up inspite of all the weeding that I do. I have found a number of seedlings of Nicandra physaloides, a tender relative of Datura, this year as have others according to requests for identification.

As I mentioned, I have a number of Datura which have been too small and too cold to flower this year. I am hoping that they will overwinter and do better next year. I never quite understand how perennial Datura is. Many sources say it is an annual, and some say a short lived perennial. Is it like a biennial, where some might flower in the first year, but will then die, whilst those that don't flower live another year? Indeed some 'biennials' like Echium pininana may take three or even four years to flower and then die.

 

If anyone is looking for a datura that self seeds it has to be this one, I bought it many years ago as La Fluer Lilac, spelling might be wrong.


but it springs up all over the place from the masses of seed it produces, but its easily weeded out, so not a big problem.
Its not a big flower, but the plants can reach an impressive size by autumn.


If anyone wants seed I'll save some a bit later as the pods dry off.
This one is growing where I dump my garden rubbish and have bonfires during the winter.

 

Should have said I think Absonoid's plant is Datura stramonium, which crops up from time to time as a weed.

I have the impression that datura seed can lay dormant for some years before something triggers germination.
Only a month ago I dug up a seedling of Datura inoxia growing on my allotment.
I've not had a plant seeding of that for probably 10yrs, so where did it come from?
Must have layed dormant.

I find datura will only self seed in ground thats been disturbed, a bit like the red poppy.

 

Pete - I would love some of your Datura seed please. It looks lovely - and I like a strong grower. I will send you a PM. I am going to take some seed myself of one I bought, which had a very dark purple flower. Its not flowered since the single flower it had on when I bought it - but I bought it for seed anyway. I would welcome any advice about when you can seperate the thorn apple from the plant, and how you dry it out.

 

Got your PM Peter.
I tend not to take the spikey seed pod off until its going brown or at least starting to split, if the seed is not dark brown or black, its not ripe.
If its ripe it just falls from the pod.

If you should get a very wet autumn it might be OK to cut the flowering stem off and dry it with the pod still attached.
If things are OK the pod will open and shed the seed.

 

Again thanks Pete - thats very helpful. I had some healthy seed pods that I was keeping for seed last year, but I let them go mouldy. I put them in a polybag - please don't say it. :D

 

That is lovely, Pete, never seen that colour before. We would love to have a few seeds, please. I've already PM'd you. Thanks!

Peter :lollol:- now if had been me.......

 

Looking at the spiky pods today I expect a bumper harvest so if anyone else is interested just PM me.

 

If they can grow happily in a pot, I'd love some

 

They can grow in a pot, but best with a free root run.
PM me if you still want some.