Datura Fastuosa ‘Double Purple’

The Double Purple Datura is a shrub that is an annual or a short-lived perennial if frost is present. Daturas are woody-stalked and have green to purple foliage with long trumpet-shaped flowers with the outside edge of the pedals that roll back into tendrils pointing towards the sky.  Flowers are a double purple with a white center that only blooms in the summer and at night. Daturas produce a spiny fruit that will split open and seeds will spill out. The Datura grows to the height of two to four feet and has a spread of four to five feet.  Daturas need a lot space and are consider weeds and invasive in certain areas, and are easy to grow. Daturas grow best in fertile soils high in magnesium and phosphates.

Daturas are tropical in nature and either originated from India or South America. They now are considered Fastuosanative to the southwestern U.S. and Mexico. They will survive temperatures as low as 20F degrees and will die back and come back next spring. Daturas can be grown in USDA Zones, five to ten and in zones eight and nine they can survive the winters underground and sprouts again from the roots. Zones five through seven, are grown as annuals.

Daturas need at least six hours of full sun. They prefer full sun, but in the south, filtered or partial shade in the afternoon is preferred.

Moisture Levels:

Double Purple Daturas are somewhat drought tolerate and will thrive in most well drained soils. But Daturas will show their true beauty when grown in rich organic soils that have been large amounts of compost and manure.

Angel’s trumpets (Burgmansia) and other species of Daturas have been cultivated for a variety of medicinal, hallucinogenic and religious uses throughout. But in modern time it is grown as an ornamental. WARNING! The leaves and seeds of Brugmansia and Datura contain several alkaloidal drugs that contain narcotic properties. Brugmansias and Daturas are poisonous to humans cattle, horses and sheep. Please check with your local communities city ordinances, in some communities it is against the law to cultivate them.