Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Datura discolor, also called the desert thorn-apple, is an herbaceous annual plant native to the Sonoran Desert of western North America, where it grows in sandy soils and washes. All parts of the plant contain a mix of alkaloids that are potentially lethal when enough is ingested. Deaths from careless recreational use of Daturas and related plants are frequently reported. The species was first described in 1833. The term discolor, meaning "various colors," refers to its upward-growing trumpet-shaped flowers, which are white in the bell, and pale to dark violet from the narrow part of the bell to the base. The plant itself is an upright or low-lying shrub that can grow to 4 1/2 feet tall. Its foliage is light green, and its stalks have conspicuous purple stripes. The ovate-shaped leaves can be whole or toothed..

Plant type

Annual herb

Size

2 - 4 ft Tall

Calscape icon
Color

White, Purple

Flowering season

Spring, Summer, Fall

Sun

Full Sun

Water

Low

Ease of care

Moderate

Soil drainage

Fast

Site type

Sandy, gravelly soils, washes

Plant communities

Alkali Sink, Creosote Bush Scrub

Caterpillars
Butterflies

Butterflies and moths supported

0 confirmed and 3 likely

Confirmed Likely

Pink-spotted Hawkmoth

Agrius cingulata

Corn Earworm Moth

Helicoverpa zea

Carolina Sphinx

Manduca sexta