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Common Name: Thorn Apple

General Information

Datura stramonium is a Annual up to 1.50 metres tall.
It has medicinal and miscellaneous uses.

Known Hazards

All members of this genus contain narcotics and are very poisonous, even in small doses[].

Botanical References

Range

Original habitat is obscure, it is found in many areas of the world, occasionally in S. Britain[].

Habitat

Dry waste ground and amongst rubble or the ruins of old buildings[, ].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	1.50 m
Pollinators	Moths
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in most moderately good soils but prefers a rich light sandy soil or a calcareous loam, and an open sunny position[, , ].
Plants often self-sow when well sited[].
The thornapple is cultivated commercially as a medicinal plant[]. It can become a weed in suitable conditions and is subject to statutory control in some countries[].
This species is extremely susceptible to the various viruses that afflict the potato family (Solanaceae), it can act as a centre of infection so should not be grown near potatoes or tomatoes[].
Grows well with pumpkins[].
The whole plant gives off a nauseating stench[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The thornapple is a bitter narcotic plant that relieves pain and encourages healing[]. It has a long history of use as a herbal medicine, though it is very poisonous and should be used with extreme caution. The use of this plant is subject to legal restrictions in some countries[].

The leaves, flowering tops and seeds are anodyne, antiasthmatic, antispasmodic, hallucinogenic, hypnotic, mydriatic and narcotic[, , , , , , , , , ]. The seeds are the most active medicinally[]. The plant is used internally in the treatment of asthma and Parkinson's disease, excess causes giddiness, dry mouth, hallucinations and coma[].
Externally, it is used as a poultice or wash in the treatment of fistulas, abscesses wounds and severe neuralgia[, ].
It should be used with extreme caution and only under the supervision of a qualified practitioner since all parts of the plant are very poisonous and the difference between a medicinal dose and a toxic dose is very small[, , ].
The leaves should be harvested when the plant is in full flower, they are then dried for later use[].

The leaves can be used as a very powerful mind-altering drug, they contain hyoscyamine and atropine[]. There are also traces of scopolamine, a potent cholinergic-blocking hallucinogen, which has been used to calm schizoid patients[]. Atropine dilates the pupils and is used in eye surgery[].
The leaves have been smoked as an antispasmodic in the treatment for asthma, though this practice is extremely dangerous[, ].

The seeds are used in Tibetan medicine, they are said to have a bitter and acrid taste with a cooling and very poisonous potency[]. Analgesic, anthelmintic and anti-inflammatory, they are used in the treatment of stomach and intestinal pain due to worm infestation, toothache and fever from inflammations[].

The juice of the fruit is applied to the scalp to treat dandruff[].

Other Uses

The growing plant is said to protect neighbouring plants from insects[, ].
The juice of the fruits is applied to the scalp to cure dandruff and falling hair[].

Propagation

Sow the seed in individual pots in early spring in a greenhouse[]. Put 3 or 4 seeds in each pot and thin if necessary to the best plant. The seed usually germinates in 3 - 6 weeks at 15°c. Plant out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Especially in areas with hot summers, it is worthwhile trying a sowing outdoors in situ in mid to late spring.