Flower profile

Sacred datura

Datura wrightii

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 March–November.

38states

5of our state lists

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 March–November. ^iNaturalist
In Arizona, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–October. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 30,455 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #7 among the 110 flowers on our California list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 5,285 research-grade sightings of it in Arizona, ranking #15 among the 109 flowers on our Arizona list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,670 research-grade sightings of it in Utah, ranking #6 among the 109 flowers on our Utah list. ^iNaturalist

Sacred datura gift ideas

Handmade sacred datura gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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Sacred datura art print
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Sacred datura embroidery pattern
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When does it bloom?

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

Bloom time in each of our 5 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
California	Native	March–November	30,455
Arizona	Native	April–October	5,285
Utah	Native	May–November	2,670
New Mexico	Native	May–October	2,162
Nevada	Native	April–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
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}
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.
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}
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.

More California flowers

Bittersweet nightshade

Solanum dulcamara

Introduced

🌼 Blooms: May–September

Silverleaf nightshade

Solanum elaeagnifolium

Native

🌼 Blooms: April–September

Tree tobacco

Nicotiana glauca

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in CA: February–December

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).
California: California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026).
California: California noxious weed species (3 CCR § 4500).
Arizona: Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025).
Arizona: Arizona prohibited noxious weeds (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-4-245).
Utah: Utah noxious weed list (Utah Admin. Code R68-9-3).
New Mexico: New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC).
New Mexico: New Mexico Noxious Weed List (NM Department of Agriculture, updated June 2020).
Nevada: Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010).
Nevada: Nevada noxious weeds (NAC 555.010).
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.