IF YOUR MOONFLOWER BUSH HAS PRICKLEY SEED PODS AND THE FLOWERS POINT UP,IT IS PROBABLY DATURA INOXIA,WHICH WILL RETURN FROM THE ROOTS WITH MULCH EVERY YEAR. MINE COMES BACK BIGGER EVERY YEAR! HARDY TO ZONE 5, SO THE BOOKS SAY.

I bought 3 bush moon flower plants at a garage sale this past summer, planted them and they were gorgeous! The talk of the neighborhood. The people that I bought them from said to plant the seeds (as they are an annual, I guess, in our area) I picked most of the pods off and now what do I do with them? I didn't realize that they would have pods like that -- I did cut a small one open curious to see if there were large seeds like I expected but they are all very small. The people I bought the plants from said to soak the seeds before I planted them in the spring. I'm at a loss -- can you help me? Gardening is pretty new to me -- any successes I've had, I'm sure, are by accident!

hey!there.... everyone, this is all new to me (computer,that is)i was given a moon flower 2 years ago.didn't know a thing about it except i wanted more.i found the little pod on the plant.ouch, they stick.i brought them in let them get brown and sorta dry,i thought it was just one big seed.:) when they started to dry they broke open to my surprise there were at least a hundred seeds.i used a toothpick to take them out of the pod.i put them on a paper towel on a large plate.put them in a dry place(in the laundry room)to dry. then i put them in a sealed baggie to await spring.in early march i planted the seeds in 10.0z.drink cups in good starting soil.oh!don't forget to put holes in bottom of cups.i used my dremel drill :).when their 3ins tall plant in garden or a container they will bloom the first year.good-luck.

I have some Moon flower bushes. I was told when I got them that they are an annual, however they self seed. This must be correct as I didn't plant any seeds this last year yet a bunch returned. I did go out and get most of the pods this year before they opened. They are a very vigourus plant and will easily take over an area. They are great, but I I pulled most of the pods off this year so they won't take over the whole area.

Thanks to all: I got a seed pod from a neighbor and will start some inside in a few months. I let it freeze a few times so will bring it into the basement now. ~h~

Do you know what the "real" name is ? I want to read more about this bush.

Marciagaye,
You can read about this plant at SingingSpringsNursery.com. They have the name listed, with a small description, just search for Datura. This is a plant that I long for. I have seen it in bloom here in Oklahoma and it is absolutely beautiful. I understand that it is also very fragrant. Happy Gardening.....

My moon flower filled in the back of my car port in two years, they are 4feet lall and about that wide too..
verry, verry harty plant.

So, Davie 7...you say the moonflower will come back again next year??? Even in zone 4a? I have already seized the seed pod off of the plant and even have a few flowers still to bloom, but I am not holding my breath as I swear it is going to snow here any minute! BBRRRRRRR!

i just got some seeds from a neighbor...wondering if i should plant now or wait til next year? thanks!

Thank you all for the interest in the post. I originaly got a prickly pod from a neighbor that the seed came up about 3" and wilted away; I tried everything. Rich, a nice guy from this mail group sent me seeds of a yellow moon-flower bush. I planted the seeds late last summer. We had a cold fall. plants got about 4' tall before I covered them for winter. I really didn't expect them to make it but now, July in Iowa I have two bushs 3'x4'. One bush has about 40 4" yellow blossoms opening every evening. Not sure yet but I don't think they are the prickly pod type. ~h~ hardee2@webtv.net

I'm in the same boat as you, Amy!
A neighbor shared a pod with me and I don't know whether the seeds need to winter-over or if they can be sown now. So I did a little of both. I sprinkled a bunch of seeds in the garden where I hope the plant will grow, and I saved a few for next spring.
If anyone has any clues to share, I'd really appreciate it!
Thanks ~
Meg :)

I would do what you did, but with the seeds your saveing I would soak a few and then plant them a month or so before you want them to come up, just incase see what method worked best winter sown,spring sown or started in the house. The worst that could happen is that you have TOO many MF,S

I'm a late starter on these Moonflowers too. I bought some seeds in June on Ebay and figured I'd try statring some. They're an inch or two tall now and we'll see how they turn out. I think this Gardenweb is the greatest!!!
Doug Smith

Hi all, i have been in the moon flower mode for several years. They are so delightful at night. Here in Tx, they need watering to keep going in these fierce summers. Even when they look dead they come right back. Never have planted anywhere else, but I would think it doesnt matter when you throw the seed in the ground, they will grow. As others have said, they are pretty invasive. I keep close watch on mine so they dont scatter seeds too far. Fran

I'm still struggling to get my moonflower bush to bloom. Last year I was given two plants. I put one in full sun and it grew to about 5 inches and died - even with tons of water. The other one is in light shade. It is about 4 feet tall and looks lovely, but no flowers. I may have to make a new garden place just for a moonflower. I love the smell and the way the butterflies find it.

OK people. This is datura. It's a member of the nightshade family and poisonous. So you need to plant it in a special spot. It's one of the coolest plants around. I have purple and white. Please research this plant before you plant it. And then, enjoy!

It's a fairly common plant and seeds are readily available on the exchange. The pods produce literally hundreds of seeds. The purple have oak like leaves and tend to bloom earlier here in Ohio. The white are blooming now and the foliage smells like peanut butter. You can walk out and see the neat buds and then an hour later a full flower that smells heavenly.

I like the white better. They are incredible. Research this plant and decide if it's the one for you. I have pictures of mine in the Winter Sowing Forum.

Don't get this confused with Moon Flower Vine which is a morning glory - Ipomoea albus. Two totally different plants.

Is this the moonflower that is also called an "angel trumpet"? I believe the angel trumpet is a datura.

Angel trumpet usually means Brugmansia since the flowers point downward as if from heaven, Devil Trumpet or Datura point upwards as if from Hades! I love them both and have grown them for a few years, I also have a big container of moonflower vine each year. The brug comes into the house each fall and is overwintered, the daturas all selfseed in the whiskey barrels and moonflower I replant each spring.

does anyone have a source for moon flower seeds (Not datura but the true ipomea moonflower), that is very fragrant? I love them but the seeds I have grown don't seem to produce flowers that are fragrant. Maybe the fragrance has been bred out of them in modern types?

I also grow evening fragrance Datura, and although I can smell something on a warm night, ONE big sniff will totally take away the fragrance! I had hoped it would be stronger as it is described as "intoxicating" I hope brugsmansia is more fragrant I will try this next year

That's strange. My dats totally perfume the entire yard. You can even smell them in the house. You get a bunch of them going and it is a little heady. I had three bloom at once a few weeks back and I can honestly say, it was intoxicating.

Don't know the answer on moonflower vine. Try Select Seeds perhaps?

Anyone have seeds for the vine variety? If not, how about a clipping? Can they root from clippings? How would I do that with moon flowers?

Many questions, waiting on helpful answers.

BTW, gardening is AMAZING for Type A's. My blood pressure is now 110/68 with no medication.

If only my freinds would take me seriously.

Hello All!
I live in Kansas and someone in Nebraska gave me a small Moon Flower plant ealier this summer. It has grown to be a real pretty plant. It has bloomed for me several times, almost a bloom a night opens. It is one plant that has 2 branches. The blooms on one of the branches are great looking, but on the other branch the blooms are starting to look deformed and the bloom doesn't open all the way. What would cause this to happen.

egr365, go ask at the Brugmansia forum. They talk mostly about Brugs, but about Datura also. Someone will sure be helpful! I have Datura (moonflower), but mine has never done that.

I was given my first moonflower plants. Mine hasn't produced those prickly seed pods yet, but my daughter's has. When do you pick these pods from the plant? Or do you wait for them to dry somewhat? If each flower produced a seed pod, I should have tons! Do I understand that this plant will probably drop seeds and come back up next summer by itself? I am very interested in getting a variety of colors for next year and starting a separate 'moon garden'. Suggestions on where to get started? (I just found this website tonight when I decided to research my moonflowers. This is great!!!)

I have a yellow one & a white one.The seeds seem to be hard to grow.2 years ago all my white ones didn't come back then this fall i found one plant about 12" tall.So i planted it up & put it in the house, Then i did the same for the yellow one. I have seeds from the yellow one and i;am going to try growing them in the spring.Any help with this would be nice.

I am interested in hearing how Moom Vines are poisonous? Is it just the ingestion of the seeds? Or is the white milky substance in the seed pods poisonous? I have been harvesting seeds from my moon vine and now have some sort of contact dermatitis. Wondering if it could be from the moon vine? Has anyone ever heard of this?
It would be very helpful info to me ..for treatment purposes!
Thanks!
Betsy

I got 20 seeds of each color of Moonflower, very late in the summer, off eBay. I couldn't resist, so planted two seeds of the yellow and two seeds of the LaFleur. This was two weeks ago. The yellows were up in eleven days. Now about 2" tall. That seems to me my magical number except for the LaFleur. They haven't come up yet. I keep them in the garage under a plant light. All experimental, thus far, but fun.

Hi SodBuster,
I also planted the LeFleur seeds this summer, I must have planted them late as when they grew and bloomed they were very small flowers, and I only got two pods, one size of a nickel, and the other one size of a pea??
patricia

Hello Patricia,

Do you think, maybe, the LaFluer moonflowers just do not have large flowers? I will go ahead and plant mine this spring, but if the blooms are not large, like the white, I won't keep them. The whole novelty of Moonflowers, for me, is the large flowers. Since you and I have them, we can compare this next year.

Datura 'Le Fleur Lilac' is not a large plant or flower. It is a dwarf variety of D tatula.

Thanks CatLady. Is the La Fleur a bush type or vine? What about the purple and yellow varieties? Big or dwarf? I had hoped the yellow would be a big variety.

Sod

There are no Datura vines. 'Le Fleur Lilac' doesn't grow more than 3 ft high. The flowers are smaller, but very fragrant. If you bought seed for the double yellow and double purple, they are large flowers. One of my new double yellows had a few flowers before the frost got it. Very attractive flowers with a lovely fragrance.

Daturas area all wonderful moon garden plants. I will be growing several new species this year and can't wait for spring. The new ones include Datura ceratocaula an aquatic species from South America, Datura discolor from the SW USA, and Datura ferox a species with very large spikes on the seedpods.

The low spreading form of Datura inoxia and Datura inoxia Missouri Marble the variegated form of the same plant are two of my favorite night blooming garden plants. If anyone is interested there is a book published by Firefly titled Brugsmansias and Daturas:Angel's Trumpets and Thorn Apples. The book is not an expensive one but it is full of information especially on the less commonly seen species.

Here is a link that might be useful: Check out this link for Datura information.

A friend just gave me an envelope full of seeds and said they were moon flowers. So I went to the internet to see what thay look like.
What I am wondering is if they will grow in Southern Arizona. These friends are snowbirds and come from Minnesota.
I will plant some and guess will see what happens. I don't know if they will be a bush or a vine. Email me at cjmd4307@aol.com

Hi,
My name is Ted and I am new to this web site, but it does look like the place to be. I am retired and not too much of a gardener, but I am learning.

MOON FLOWERS , as far as I know are basically two types, The vine like Morning Glory called Ipomoea, and a small plant, some are calling a bush, that grows about 2+ feet in height with equal width called Datura. It is the latter than I am familiar with.

I purchased a pot containing three plants two years ago and was amazed at the large white flowers that opened at night, I live in central New Jersey and no one in my neighborhood had ever had any and everyone wanted one. Having a BROWN thumb I was certain that they would not last long, but they did, flower after flower until late fall.
Each flower that dies formed a prickly ball type sphere that if left on the plant would split open and drop seeds.

I picked these pods as they turned brown but before they split open, brought them in the house and let them finish drying out. I then split open the pods and removed the hundreds of seeds, placing them in a plastic container that some Won Ton soup came in.
They sat on top of my dishwasher, which is next to a window, all winter and up to early April.

I have a large pedestal type pot at my front door that we plant every spring with annuals, I told my wife I needed to use it before she planted. I mixed in some all purpose plant fertilizer in the old potting soil/top soil mixture that was left from the previous year and took about 20-25 seeds and just mashed them into the loose soil. Some could still be seen and others not when I was finished. I soaked/drowned the pot with so much water some of the seeds was floating on the water.

I soaked this pot daily until I could actually see little plants punching up in the dirt, at that time I just kept the dirt wet, not moist, but wet from then on. I harvested about 15-18 plants that are now about 1.5 feet high and growing. No I do not need all those plants, but not too shabby for Mr. Brown Thumb. I have given all but 4 away; Those 4 will give me more seeds than I will ever need for next year.

This unscientific method has worked for someone who could not grow rice in Japan for two years now. I hope it helps you. This is a plant, with large trumpet like white flowers.

If any of you have any seeds of different color flowers I would love to exchange some with you.

Regards
Teddy P

THIS PLANT IS POISONOUS TO ANYONE OR ANYTHING THAT EATS IT. CHILDREN AND PETS! BE CAREFUL WHAT HAS ACCESS TO IT.
HERE IS A LINK TO CHECK OUT POISONOUS PLANTS:http://cal.vet.upenn.edu/poison/index.html
JUST TO ADD, THE FLOWER SMELLS LIKE BABY POWDER.

Oh wow, this sounds like a great plant. Do you know where a person could find seeds for this?
Leslie

You can find seeds on eBay, or at your local nursery!

I have a question.., Is it illegal to grow these moonflowers and morning glories in AZ? I used to have these in other states. If I constantly pick the seed pods, I should be ok...right?

This website is cool!

Contact me if you would like seeds of the Moon Flower. In my experience here in zone 5 I planted a few maybe 5 seeds one spring in the ground about 6 years ago and have had moon flowers in various places in my yard ever since. They are annuals here but reseed. They fasinated me because you can actually watch the rather large fragrant flower bloom over a matter of about 20 minutes. It unfolds and is about 3-5 inches across and probably 5 inches or so long. The main plant I should say the one that is the largest this year is next to my compost pile (go figure) and the plant is about 3 feet tall by 5 feet wide with numerous flowers that point somewhat upward the weight of the flower pulls it down alittle. If anyone is interested in seeds I will send for a sase. Email me. As stated earlier they are poisonous.

I bought 2 purple/white moonflower bushes from a Farmer's market 2 years ago for $5 each. Last year I just had leaves, this year they are spreading all over. Can anyone tell me how long before they will bloom again? They are in full sun.

I know when I first put my trumpet vine in it took about 4 or 5 years to get flowers.

HEY YALL
WOUDERING WHAT TO DO WITH THIS LITTL POKEY THING ON MY MOON FLOWER. AND HOW DO YOU TAKE CARE OF IT DURING THE WINTER? ID LOVE IF ANYONR WOULD SEND ME SEEDS.?

We really like this type of Moon Flower. The seeds were sent by someone on this forum. I lost his name a couple years ago. ENJOY THE PICTURES. h

Here is a link that might be useful: Our Backyard pics

I soak my moon flower vine seeds (they look like a piece of hard corn)in water in a bowl, then I put them in starter pots with soil, water them and place them on the dryer or top of your refrigerator. The heat off the dryer/refrigerator will help germinate the seeds faster and before you know you have green starts popping up. Then I take them outside on either the front or back deck. When their about 4 to 6 inches high I move them to the ground with string tied to deck and they will climb it. They bloom in the evening when it is cooler.

My word!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe this thread is almost 10 years old. But like every year I have these plants coming up all over again. love em.

I recently found a bush with prickly seed pods on them a neighbor said they were moonflowers I though they were a vine maybe someone identify it. i am attaching photos the frost got the leaves but the pods are very visible.

I have never seen a Moon flower Bush, I have Moon flower vines on my sidwalk railing. I have 12 new little babies to share with my children for their homes and a few to give as gifts.

Any body know where I can get a moon flower bush in the Lansing, Mi area? I want the kind with the prickly seed pods.

I have a bunch I'm willing to send you some Marsha Gardner. I cut them back once they have bloomed. I think I have just about 50 of them.