What is this?? Invasive? Edible?

digitS'

Garden Master
Joined
Dec 13, 2007
Messages
25,718
Reaction score
28,721
Points
457
Location
border, ID/WA(!)
Is it Jimsonweed? ( oak.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/datst.htm )

Jimsonweed showed up in my garden recently, hiding under sunflowers. That is, it showed up last year but I was able to identify it this year.

I thought it was another Solanaceae weed - the Buffalo Bur. The Buffalo Bur showed up around here about 10 years ago. It is still very limited in its "toehold" and I think we can be happy about that. I've only found 1 plant in my yard but have seen a few along the river, now and then.

I guess Jimsonweed is fairly common in large parts of the US - don't know why we haven't seen Jimsonweed before. I kept it from blooming last year but found a couple of plants with those big white blooms during the summer. The Buffalo Bur has yellow flowers.

Steve

Cane', are you anywhere near Jamestown?
 

canesisters

Garden Master
Joined
Nov 16, 2011
Messages
5,684
Reaction score
7,459
Points
377
Location
Southeast VA
Not too far away Steve. When I was a kid, a really special treat was to ride the Jamestown ferry and throw bread to the seagulls off the back.
 

lesa

Garden Master
Joined
Nov 10, 2008
Messages
6,645
Reaction score
566
Points
337
Location
ZONE 4 UPSTATE NY
Cat, I was thinking those seed pods reminded me of Angel's Trumpet. Have you ever had them in your garden, Mrcman?
 

digitS'

Garden Master
Joined
Dec 13, 2007
Messages
25,718
Reaction score
28,721
Points
457
Location
border, ID/WA(!)
from the linked webpage at Virginia Tech:

"The stem below the cotyledon (hypocotyl) is initially maroon in color toward the base, eventually becoming maroon throughout."

Jimsonweed is Datura stramonium and (according to Wikipedia): ". . . got this name from the town of Jamestown, Virginia, where British soldiers consumed it while attempting to suppress Bacon's Rebellion. They spent eleven days in altered mental states. . ." You can read about those "altered mental states" in Wikipedia.

Steve
 

Latest posts

Top