Jimson Weed - Part II

The Sacred Datura blossom has long captivated artists and poets The Jimson Weed (Datura Stramonium) appears in paintings by the famed Modernist artist Georgia O’Keeffe. (1887 – 1986) - Known for the flower paintings, which encompass a quarter of her work, she was originally inspired by nature during her childhood in rural Wisconsin.

Jimson Weed (Datura Stramonium)

The following is a legend about this beautiful flower.

When the early settlers arrived on Jamestown Island in Virginia in 1607, the location was considered perfect. They were able to look outwards, along the coastline, for Spanish conquerors and the deep channel allowed the navigation of their ships.

They thought it curious that there were no Indians on the island and it wasn’t too long before they realized why.

The island’s drinking water was polluted and there was very little wild game or any other food sources available.

Some of the settlers made a formidable error by experimenting with eating the plant life that was available. They were especially attracted to this seductively beautiful flower, however, they soon realized that the side affects of ingestion of the Datura were delusions, convulsions, and respiratory failure, which brought about their eventual deaths.

The survivors of those who died always remembered the consequences of eating the beautiful flowers. When, seventy years later, the British soldiers arrived to arrest an uprising of the colony, the settlers slipped Datura leaves into the soldier’s food. The British soldiers did not die, but they did go crazy for eleven days, temporarily giving the colonists the upper hand. As the story is told the plant became known as Jamestown weed, and over the centuries that was condensed to Jimson weed.

There are several well-documented stories of people who have experimented with smoking, brewing, or cooking with Jimson weed that led to coma and eventual death.

Jimsonweed which grows to a height of 2 to almost 6 ½ feet has large, white or violet, trumpet-shaped flowers, and produces a large, spiny fruit to which the common name thorn apple is sometimes applied.

This plant promises a fairyland of delicate beauty, moths, butterflies, long-tongued bees, hummingbirds and magical moonlit nights. It gives rise to some of the plant’s other names, for instance, Angel’s Trumpet, Moon Lily, Moon Flower or Belladonna (beautiful lady).

Scientists regard the plant as a perennial deciduous herb. Which means that it lives for at least three years. It is also extremely poisonous, with the concentration of toxic levels varying from plant to plant. It loses its leaves in the winter.

Members of the nightshade family, all Daturas are poisonous. The dramatic purple Moonflower, Datura inoxia flourishes throughout the South Western area of the United States.

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I have no doubt that this persistent plant will reappear in the Peace Garden in the springtime but this English women has learned the lesson of her forefathers and will leave it alone. :-)