The first Datura of the year unfolds in the Witch’s Garden, June 21

I used to order Datura every year. I loved the large white flowers which blooms for a single evening. I tended my plant carefully to make sure it survived in the hot summers here. 

Then I noticed a house nearby with whole bushes of Datura, year after year. By the end of the second year I understood. 

Around here Datura is called Jimson Weed, and it grows freely around ditches and highways. Keep your eyes out when pulling weeds the year after you’ve had Datura in the garden and you’ll likely find it popping up all over the place. Last year I even had a plant spring up from a hanging basket. 

I get a lot of confused questions about why I grow weeds in my yard, but that’s fine. Datura has a long, checkered history, and makes for a carefree but essential plant in the Witch’s Garden.