The related Datura meteloides (other names are used for it) is now blooming very beautifully in some local gardens. This produces larger flowers than those of D. stramonium and the flowers have a delicious citrus fragrance. In dry places (such as in the rain shadow of the house) these are hardy here and eventually form big shrubby masses which sprawl six feet wide. The roots can be dug and stored inside during the winter in cold areas – don’t let them dry out too much. If you’re thinking about fooling around with jimson weed, read this. In fact, even if you’re not thinking about fooling around with it, you might enjoy reading this. Here’s Robert Beverly’s account, originally published in 1705 (lifted from wikipedia) . I have a hunch that this is the most frequently quoted passage from Beverly’s work: The James-Town Weed (which resembles the Thorny Apple of Peru, and I take to be the plant so call'd) is supposed to be one of the greatest coolers in the world. This being an early plant, was gather'd very young for a boil'd salad, by some of the soldiers sent thither to quell the rebellion of Bacon (1676); and some of them ate plentifully of it, the effect of which was a very pleasant comedy, for they turned natural fools upon it for several days: one would blow up a feather in the air; another would dart straws at it with much fury; and another, stark naked, was sitting up in a corner like a monkey, grinning and making mows [grimaces] at them; a fourth would fondly kiss and paw his companions, and sneer in their faces with a countenance more antic than any in a Dutch droll. In this frantic condition they were confined, lest they should, in their folly, destroy themselves — though it was observed that all their actions were full of innocence and good nature. Indeed, they were not very cleanly; for they would have wallowed in their own excrements, if they had not been prevented. A thousand such simple tricks they played, and after eleven days returned themselves again, not remembering anything that had passed. – The History and Present State of Virginia, 1705[11] Jim McKenney jimmckenney@jimmckenney.com Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, 39.03871º North, 77.09829º West, USDA zone 7 My Virtual Maryland Garden http://www.jimmckenney.com/ BLOG! http://mcwort.blogspot.com/ Webmaster Potomac Valley Chapter, NARGS Editor PVC Bulletin http://www.pvcnargs.org/ Webmaster Potomac Lily Society http://www.potomaclilysociety.org/