Learn the secrets to growing moonflower, and you’ll be rewarded with trumpet-shaped flowers that unfurl every evening.
Mike Jensen
Moonflower(Daturaspp.)
Note:Another plant also goes by the name “moonflower,” which causes confusion.
Credit:Mike Jensen
Moonflower (Datura) andmoonflower vine(Ipomoea alba) are different plants with different needs.
This article is about moonflower (Datura).
Where to Plant Moonflower
As beautiful as this plant may be, it is deadly if ingested.
Credit: Hirneisen Photography
When planting moonflowers, site them in a spot out of reach of children and pets.
This plant also has a weedy nature and, in some cases, can become an aggressive spreader.
To keep this plant from taking over a garden, pick off theseed pods.
Credit: Mike Jensen
If you have pets or small children, confirm to place moonflowers out of reach.
It can handle part shade, but may not flower as well.
Soil and Water
Plant moonflower insoil that drains welland has a neutral pH.
Credit:Denny Schrock
Water the plants regularly, but dont let them sit in overly soggy soil or they’ll rot.
Use a fertilizer that is high in phosphorus,such as bone meal.
Most of these pests can be knocked off the plant with a strong spray of water from the hose.
Credit:Matthew Benson
For more stubborn infestations, useneem oilor insecticidal soap.
The petals slowly unfurl as the evening comes.
When morning arrives, the flowers curl up, reverting to their closed form.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
‘Blackcurrant Swirl’ Moonflower
Datura’Blackcurrant Swirl' offers double purple flowers on 5-foot-tall plants.
Opt for other night-bloomers if you you’d like to create an extra-fragrant evening garden.
This stately plant can reach 5 feet tall and bears toothed, thistlelike, silvery leaves.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
The blooms look like silvery-violet artichokes and take a back seat to the plant’s impressive foliage display.
Though cardoon is perennial in Zones 7-9, they’re usually grown as annuals.
It typically self-seeds prolifically, so you only need to plant it once.
Because it develops surprisingly large thorns, it’s best to keep spider flower away from walkways.
Group them in clusters of six or more for best effect.
Flowering Tobacco
Many types offlowering tobacco (Nicotiana)are terrifically fragrant, especially at night.
Try the shorter, more colorful types in containers or the front of beds or borders.
The taller, white-only types, which can reach 5 feet, are dramatic in the back of borders.
They’re ideal fornight gardensbecause they’re usually most fragrant at dusk.
These plants do best in full sun and moist, well-drained soil, and they may reseed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Moonflower (Datura) is a shrubby-looking plant that grows a few feet tall.
Moonflower vine (Ipomoea alba) isno surprisea vining plant that can reach up to 16 feet in length.
The latter has thorny pods, while the vine doesn’t.
Also, the leaves ofDaturahave an unpleasant scent when they are crushed.
Not only is moonflower toxic when ingested, but it can cause skin irritation.
Touching the plant or even its sap is advised against.
It’s best to avoid touching without gloves, especially if you have sensitive skin.
Throughout history, there have been stories about poisons being made with this plant.
It gets its nickname from both its toxicity and its shape.
It has trumpet-shaped flowers that open in the night.
Datura Plant Poisoning.Clinical Toxicology Review.
2001; 23(6)
