If you’re anything like me, you love to spend time out in the garden with your pets on warm summer afternoons. And if your pets are anything like mine, they tend to get a bit curious when it comes to the plants that are growing around your yard. In that case, you’re definitely going to want to make a note of the plant known as jimsonweed, a particularly toxic wildflower that grows in Maryland yards. It may look pretty, but those beautiful flowers hide a dangerous dark side. Here’s everything you need to know about it.
Datura stramonium is more commonly known by such names as thorn apple, devil’s snare, or jimsonweed. It’s an invasive creeping herb that spreads easily with rainfall and is notable for its sweet-smelling trumpet flowers.
The plant produces fruit pods that look like something out of an Alien movie. Over the course of the summer, the fruit pods evolve from these closed green bulbs…
…To these sinister-looking seed spreaders that open like face-hugger eggs. And even though the plant isn’t about to cause an intergalactic invasion, the danger it presents is much more present.
Jimsonweed is a potent hallucinogen, and despite the beauty of the flowers and the morbidly fascinating appearance of the seed pods, consumption of and contact with the plant can often result in fatal overdoses for humans and pets alike. Because the flowers give off such a pleasing scent, this can present a very real danger.
The reason the plant is called jimsonweed actually comes from a time when it was called the “Jamestown weed”, after an incident where English soldiers consumed the plant as a boiled salad (I know, gross) while attempting to suppress Bacon’s Rebellion. The plant caused severe hallucinations and illness in everyone who partook of it.
If you find jimsonweed creeping its way into your yard, it is highly recommended that you put on protective outerwear - long sleeves, gloves, and high-top shoes - and remove it root and stem. Do not burn the plant though, as inhaling the smoke is extremely likely to cause the negative toxic side effects.
In addition to being prepared for potentially toxic plants, our list of creepy crawlers to avoid in Maryland is the perfect way to prepare yourself for your gardening excursion.
Learning to become a better gardener can be tough, especially if you’re flying by the seat of your pants. Luckily MasterClass offers some great instruction in becoming a master gardener that can be absorbed on your schedule, at your pace.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.
