I am looking for a white datura that has huge, huge flowers. I've been looking for these for years without luck and thought perhaps you brug experts might be able to help?
A few years ago, after looking in all my garden books I thought I had found it - datura metel. Ordered plants and that's not it. The flowers are large but not nearly as large as the plants I saw in a lady's yard that I fell in love with.
Hers were about 3-4 feet high and the flowers were humongous - maybe 7 inches across and 8-9 inches long. She called them "horns" which I suppose is a country version of horns of plenty.
Is what I'm looking for datura inoxia? If so, does anyone know a good source of seeds or plants?
can someone help me find this?
I don't know my datura inoxia from datura metal, but there is one called D. Wrightii Regal that sounds just like what you describe and it blooms like crazy.
Thanks. Looking at the pictures in the database, I think that the bloom on that one might be shorter. The blooms on the one I saw where white all the way down on the skinny part (trumpet?) and long. I just wish I could find this.
Datura wrightii is larger flowering than D.inoxia. It's blooms can be 10 inches accross. Sometimes it has a faint lavender rim but it also comes in all white. Mine never got real tall but it sort of sprawled out to about 4 feet wide.
Are you sure it was a Datura and not a brugmansia? Were the flowers facing upward or hanging down?
It was definitely a datura - pointing up. The flowers had no purple on them - absolutely pure white.
This was in the yard of an old country lady and she'd been growing it for years.
Hart, since it was in the yard of an old country lady, do you think it might have been a white dinner plate hibiscus?? I don't know if that's the correct name, but what they are called here, they are perenials
hart....this may or may not be helpful! I will post of pic of my Datura Wrightii! The blooms open in the evening and stay all night, and close mornings when it starts getting hot. On a cloudy day they could stay open most of the day. The blooms are as much as 8" across the face and about 6" long. They smell devine!
I've grown daturas for about 6 years or so and love them. If there is a larger datura than this I want to see it! LOL
You may also be looking for a moonflower vine that she was calling a horn of plenty. They have much larger blooms and are beautiful as well. I will post that pic after the d. wrightii.
Here is a pic of the Ipomoea Moonflower Vine. (In the morning glory family) A huge white night blooming vine. Approx 8" to 10" across.
Guys, guys, guys. I really do know the difference between a moonflower vine, a hibiscus and a datura. LOL It was definitely a datura.
Thanks everyone for your help! Brinda, it must be the Wrightii. You picture looks much more like it than the other picture at the database because the skinny part is white with no green tint. I thought they were longer than 6 inches, though. More like 8-9.
Does anyone know where I can find seeds or plants of the Wrightii?
Thanks again everyone.
I should have seeds of wrightii at the end of the season -- funny, I bought them as double alba, and I did get a few of those, but they are mostly the wrightii. Mine have a slight lavender tinge around the edge which fades as they fully open to a pure white flower. Let me know if I should save you some seeds :) Gretchen
Here is a source with seed available now.The catch is,you have to be a member to get the free seed.Membership is inexpensive,about the cost of 2 or 3 packs of commercial seed.http://forums.brugmansias.org/module/forums/t/7537/
Here is a picture of one of mine that's currently blooming, Hart:
Wow, Kaufmann, that would be great if you could save me some seeds! I can send you some old-timey four o'clocks or white coneflower seeds in exchange if you like those. The four o'clocks are the "broken" kind with speckles and stripes. I will also have oodles of redbud tree seeds soon.
The pictures are gorgeous. Thanks again everyone for all your help.
Hart,
I have an all white form that has grown here in my yard for over 35 years..before that they had grown at our other house for about as long.I can get you some seeds. Its very fragrant and all white.it's datura meteloides. Inoxia is a small trumpet flowered form. I have those seeds too.
hart...if you don't have luck with seeds, let me know. I still have some left from this plant from last summer.
D. wrightii regal has the largest white flowers of Datura, larger than D. inoxia, which is an invalid synonym for D. meteloides.
You all are soooo nice. But what do I expect from a bunch of gardeners? I know the datura metel I planted wasn't the same thing. The flowers were smaller.
Brinda, if I could beg a few of those seeds for this year, that would be wonderful. I have some four o'clock seeds saved from last year if you'd like to trade.
Datura seeds should stay viable for a few years. I hope you get the one your looking for. The larger blooms really are fascinating!
hart...you're most welcome to them. Email me with your address. Today and tomorrow are my long days so I should be able to get them out to you on Thursday! Take care and enjoy! Thanks for the offer but no need to send a trade.....I'm covered up in flowers!
Hart: I'll be glad to send you some at Summer's end. I've marked my calendar for August 1st. If you don't hear from me, please send me an e-mail... And, I don't need anything in return, just happy to help you out. If you end up with some between now and then and don't need mine, just let me know that too -- Thanks! Gretchen
Thanks, thanks, thanks everyone! (see me grinning from ear to ear?)
Brinda, did you receive the email I sent you? I don't think it's working when I send email from this site.
Hello hart....so sorry...today and tomorrow are my VERY long days! I didn't get your email....try me at ChaseUdn@aol.com