What is this growing in my corn?

It has a beautiful white and purple pinwheel flower, but also has SHARP spike "fruit" growing in the crotch of the stem.

What is it? Does it have a use? I will try to post another picture of the spiky fruit.

Thanks for your time.

Looks like you got other seed mixed in with your corn. Looks kinda like a Datura. The leaves really do. How big is the flower? Pretty. The spiky fruit is full of seeds if it is one. And your mention of the spiky "fruit" really sounds like a Dat. Please do NOT eat any part of this plant until someone definitely identifies it for you.

here is a picture of the spiky "fruit"

And here is the leaf structure.

Thanks for your reply!!!

Yes, that is exactly what you have. A datura. Don't know the name. Someone will tell you. Fun to have it growing with the corn.

Where did you get the seed for the corn?

The seeds came from Baker Creek (Wades Giant Indian Corn Heirloom) BUT I really think that the plant came from some imported mushroom compost that I used in the beds this year. I have never had a problem with Baker Creek they seem really cool.

Thanks for your help in identifying the plant. I see it is also called JimsonWeed and can have some toxic effects. I think that I will enjoy the flowers but pull the plant before it goes to seed.

Yes, just be sure you get all of those spikey things off before they pop open. and You should be able to get them out of there easy enough. New plants are fun tho.

That "spikey' thing is the seed pod. Yes they are poisinous but you could always sow the seeds someplace else next year. They are not frost hardy, but can be grown in containers. Also, you would have noticed if the seed had come in the corn, they look way diffrent. It is really pretty.

That's a good point Lisa. Plant them some place else. Not in the vegetable garden. LOL

I think that was a pretty flower.

Ditto on it being Datura, but it is not "jimsonweed", which is Datura stramonium and has a completely different kind of flower. You could probably Google "pinwheel Datura" and find out which variety you have though, BillsBackYard.

And welcome to DG, Bill!

Shoe

Shoe is this variety poisonous also?

I've read that all Datura plants are toxic, some chemicals in them causing coma and/or death if taken in various ways or quantities. However, for those of us with mature minds I think we can still enjoy their beauty and know better than to ingest any part of the plant.

Keep in mind, Datura's also are poisonous to livestock so hopefully animal folks will keep it at bay.

I think the pic above might be Datura metal, a prized ornamental but I bet folks over in the Brugmansia Forum could better identify it for Bill.

Shoe

This message was edited Aug 28, 2010 3:20 PM

Thanks Shoe! I was wondering about the toxicity because there are certain seeds that are marked poisonous in seed catalogs, this being one of them.
Even if its not marked poisonous I do have enough sense not to eat it!
My livestock won't eat it even if they can get to it. My large pets got into my greens garden while I was on vacation. They didn't touch the tomatoes, eggplant or peppers but they did leave manure that was not properly aged.
Maybe Bill will share some seeds...

I watched a show on TV once where a woman had Datura growing in her veggie garden and she accidentally cut it's leaves and mistakenly ate it for lettuce. I could never, for the life of me, figure out why she had planted it in her veggie garden...I always thought that was the silliest thing I'd ever heard of!! Well, now I think I understand what happened to the poor woman, lol! She was rushed to the ER and survived...they never did figure out what was wrong with her until after she got home and inspected her garden.

I'm in zone 5 where these are not supposed to overwinter. The seedpods never have time to ripen for me. I did however dump one in the compost heap in the fall, the heap was not turned and in the spring I had a volunteer plant show up. I transplanted it and it did very well. If I were you I'd cut off those seed pods and dig that plant out just so there's no chance it comes back on you in that spot. Be very careful with those seedpods. Those spines/spikes are as sharp as they look and you do not want one stuck in your thumb or finger!!

As an aside...wait until it's dark then go out and look at the flower, it will be fully open and smell absolutely heavenly!!! Then you won't want to part with it =)

....just never know what you're going to find in the corn, do you????