Santa Fe Botanical Garden

Common name: sacred datura, sacred thornapple, toloache, toloache grande, tecuyaui, belladona

Family: Solanaceae (Potato)

Distribution: Southwestern United States

Habitat: Disturbed areas, desert scrub, grasslands, pinyon-juniper woodlands

Hardiness: USDA Zone 6 (-10 to 0 °F)

Life form: Deciduous perennial

Occurrence in New Mexico: New Mexico native plant

Growing Conditions: D. wrightii is native from central California south to northern Mexico and east to Texas. It is widespread in New Mexico along roadsides and other disturbed ground. Many references state it is hardy only to Zone 9; it overwinters in Santa Fe but may not be fully hardy here. It is often found in creosote brush, Joshua tree, sagebrush, and piñon-juniper communities. It usually grows in well-drained sandy soils, and may be seen growing in floodplains. As an ornamental for xeriscapes, it may be planted in sand, loam, clay or calcareous soils. It is sometimes planted in containers for its large, white, fragrant, trumpet-like flowers that open from evening through morning. It grows in full sun or part shade. It prefers a medium amount of water, but will tolerate dry soil. All parts of the plant are highly toxic. Concentrations of psychoactive compounds vary widely in flowers, seedpods and roots, and ingestion can be fatal to humans and animals.