It started as a relaxing summer evening for Lisa in her new home.
She was out admiring the yard, enjoying the quiet, when she noticed a striking flower blooming under the moonlight. “I remember thinking how beautiful it looked, almost glowing in the dark,” she recalls.
Intrigued, she leaned in to catch a whiff of its sweet, almost hypnotic fragrance.
What she didn’t know was that the innocent-looking flower was Datura, commonly called Devil’s Trumpet — a plant with a dangerous reputation.
Lisa found one of the plant’s seed pods and bit it open, to see what was inside. She didn’t know that she’d taken in some of the seed, and she carried on with her evening.
But an hour later, she started feeling strange.
“At first, it was just a bit of dizziness, but then it turned into this weird, dreamlike state,” she says.
Her heart raced, her vision blurred, and she struggled to keep her balance. By the time she arrived at the ER, Lisa was on the verge of hallucinations.
Doctors quickly identified Devil’s Trumpet poisoning.
“I had no idea a flower in my own yard could do this,” she admits.
Known for its beautiful, trumpet-shaped blooms that open at night, Devil’s Trumpet is a common sight in many yards, on roadsides, in pastures, and in wild areas, but it’s laced with some of nature’s most powerful toxins!
Just brushing against the plant won’t hurt you, but if you’re unlucky enough to get its sap on an open cut, or if you decide to nibble a bit of the flower or its seed pods, you’re in for a wild (and possibly terrifying) ride.
The symptoms range from nausea and hallucinations to full-blown delirium, fever, and increased heart rate, with some people landing up in hospital and needing medical care.
“This plant has a double-edged charm,” says Glenn D from Backyard Pests. “It’s gorgeous but dangerous, which is why it’s been called a devil’s trumpet AND an angel’s trumpet!”
Lisa’s reaction isn’t unique.
In fact, Devil’s Trumpet’s dark history spans centuries, with cultures using it in rituals for its hallucinogenic properties. But Glenn points out, “The same effects that were used in rituals are also what makes it risky. Even a small amount can cause major problems.”
Lisa has since removed the plant from her yard. “I know why that plant has the name ‘Devil’ in it!” she laughs.
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