The Language and Meaning of the Datura Flower: Getting to Know This Mysterious Bloom

Datura is an annual herbaceous plant in the genus Datura of the nightshade family (Solanaceae), and in warm climates it can also grow into a semi-shrub. Its flowers are large and striking, funnel- or trumpet-shaped, usually opening in the evening, heavily fragrant and highly ornamental. One important warning: the entire datura plant is toxic, so do not touch the sap when viewing it, and never eat any part of it.

The language of the datura flower varies according to flower color, and on the whole it carries a mysterious, unpredictable quality. Among the more widely circulated interpretations, the black datura is often read as unpredictable death and love, white stands for purity and cleanliness, gold carries the meaning of respect and good fortune, and pink mostly suggests ease and comfort. These flower meanings mostly come from folk culture, and the wording differs somewhat from place to place.

The name datura is a transliteration from Sanskrit, and in religious culture it is often given a solemn, sacred imagery; many folk legends about this flower also circulate. It is precisely this dual nature of being both beautiful and poisonous that makes datura appear frequently in literature and art, often associated with an atmosphere of mystery and danger.

The datura has an unusual flower shape and is suitable for accenting a courtyard or flower border, but it is not advisable to plant it where children and pets can easily reach it; if there are small children or cats and dogs at home, you can choose non-toxic flowers instead. In addition, although datura is recorded in traditional medicine, never gather or use it yourself, to avoid the risk of poisoning.