Flower profile

Sacred datura

Datura wrightii

Sacred datura (Datura wrightii) is a low shrub in the Solanaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly April–October across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Sacred datura is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 5 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–October.

38states where USDA records it

5Bloomipedia state lists include it

45,402U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah

Quick look

Datura wrightii, commonly known as sacred datura, is a poisonous perennial plant species and ornamental flower of the family Solanaceae native to the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. It is sometimes used as a hallucinogen due to its psychoactive alkaloids. D. wrightii is classified as an anticholinergic deliriant.
From Wikipedia's article Datura wrightii, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Solanaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a subshrub with a annual, perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 38 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to California, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Nevada. ^NatureServe
In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–October. ^iNaturalist
In Arizona, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–September. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 30,455 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #7 among the 178 flowers on our California list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 5,285 research-grade sightings of it in Arizona, ranking #15 among the 132 flowers on our Arizona list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,670 research-grade sightings of it in Utah, ranking #6 among the 153 flowers on our Utah list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (4,665 records)

Bloom time in the 5 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
California	Native	April–October	30,455
Arizona	Native	May–September	5,285
Utah	Native	May–October	2,670
New Mexico	Native	May–October	2,162
Nevada	Native	May–October	1,021

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)

Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}

NatureServe global

G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe

State rare plant lists

Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 4 of our 5 states.

See each state

California: Not listed Not on California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in California. ^{CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)}
Arizona: Not listed Not on Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arizona. ^{AAC R3-3 App. A}
New Mexico: Not listed Not on New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Mexico. ^{19.21.2.9 NMAC}
Nevada: Not listed Not on Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Nevada. ^{NAC 527.010}

Utah

No list Utah has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Utah ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Utah.

Rare elsewhere

No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleCaution: partly edible, partly poisonous

NC State Extension lists it as poisonous to humans (severity: high). Poisonous parts: bark, flowers, fruits, leaves, roots, sap/juice, seeds, stems. Symptoms they list: “Hot, dry, and flushed skin, hallucinations, pupil dilation, headache, delirium, rapid and weak pulse, convulsions, and coma. Skin irritation can occur.” They also note: “Toxic if ingested” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsCan be a problem for cats, children, dogs and horses

NC State Extension flags it as a problem for cats, children, dogs and horses. It isn't on the ASPCA plant list. ^{NC State Extension}

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records sacred datura in 38 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin.

California counties with USDA records: Alameda, Butte, Calaveras, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Fresno, Humboldt, Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Lake, Los Angeles, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Monterey, Napa, Orange, Riverside, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Ventura, Yolo.

Arizona counties with USDA records: Apache, Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Navajo, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz, Yavapai, Yuma.

Utah counties with USDA records: Garfield, Grand, Kane, Salt Lake, San Juan, Washington, Wayne.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Lower 48 states: Native; Puerto Rico: Native; U.S. Virgin Islands: Introduced.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 159 counties across 28 states; the most are in California (40), Arizona (15), Texas (15).

Other Datura on Bloomipedia (2): Jimsonweed, Desert thorn-apple.

More from the Solanaceae family (15 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Carolina horsenettle, Bittersweet nightshade, Silverleaf nightshade, Tree tobacco, Buffalo-bur, Eastern black nightshade, Western horsenettle, Desert tobacco.

More California flowers

Tree tobacco

Nicotiana glauca

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in CA: March–April

California poppy

Eschscholzia californica

★ CA state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms in CA: March–May

California buckwheat

Eriogonum fasciculatum

Native

🌼 Blooms in CA: April–July

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile DAWR2.
iNaturalist, Datura wrightii: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Datura wrightii (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
State rare and invasive plant lists (9):
Show all 9 state lists
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Datura wrightii (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Mark G via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.