Dear Reader:

I couldn’t help but drop back and punt on a true historical story documented behind the names of this plant… more commonly known as The Devil’s Trumpet...the trumpet because of the shape of its blooms.

When Stephanie shared one of these beautiful plants with me from the Farmer’s Market a few weeks ago…she told me the name and said it would be interesting to see how the name originated…especially since there is a plant called ‘The Angel’s Trumpet.”

I really didn’t think much about it at the time….I just loved the night blooms on it…reminded me of my moon flowers but enhanced with the purple rim beauty encircling the bloom.

A few days later, however, Doodle was the first person to warn me about this plant and probably how it got its name…it contains extremely toxic agents within the whole plant (from the roots to the stems, to the leaves) and can cause severe skin reactions, and if ingested sickness and death to animals and humans alike.

• I read that farmers take great care to rid fields of this plant where their animals graze. (Doodle figured that might have something to do with the name…as in the sense that evil can lure us with its own unique beauty but be deadly at the same time.)

Doodle said she has one such plant but keeps it far away from the ‘mainstream’ of her other plants in her garden/yard and said that this might be a good idea for me too.

I definitely know that before the grandchildren come to play on the deck, again, that I need to move it to a remote area of the back yard …back where the woods begin perhaps. And I need to keep it in its container since it is quite aggressive and will take over a wide area if left to itself… another article cited.

Then yesterday one of our readers wondered if there was another name for this plant that could be substituted for The Devil’s Trumpet. I thought it would be interesting to find out and lo and behold a history lesson popped right up…and I certainly can’t pass on that opportunity!

The other names for this plant are the Jimsonweed and the Jamestown weed.  (Jimson…of course being the nickname for James.) *The son of a James back then was named Jim.

It was actually the historical settlement of Jamestown, Virginia  that provides the backdrop for a documented, strange occurrence that took place there in conjunction with this alluring but poisonous plant.

I googled and asked about the origin of the plant name – the ‘Jamestown Weed.‘ The first article only mentioned one short idea on the origin.

“This plant contains toxic tropane alkaloids, which have caused poisoning and death in humans and other animals. Jimsonweed is named for a case of human poisoning in Jamestown, Va., when soldiers were poisoned by eating the plant in a salad and then suffered delirium and hallucinations.”

With a little more probing I actually found an old historical document that cited just how bizarre the incident with the British soldiers (who ingested this plant) really played out.

Captain John Smith- Founder of Jamestown

Jimsonweed – Jamestown Story

In 1676, British soldiers were sent to stop the Rebellion of Bacon. Jamestown weed (Jimsonweed) was boiled for inclusion in a salad, which the soldiers readily ate. The hallucinogenic properties of jimsonweed took affect.

As told by Robert Beverly in The History and Present State of Virginia (1705): The soldiers presented “a very pleasant comedy, for they turned natural fools upon it for several days: one would blow up a feather in the air; another would dart straws at it with much fury; and another, stark naked, was sitting up in a corner like a monkey, grinning and making faces at them; a fourth would fondly kiss and paw his companions, and sneer in their faces with a countenance more antic than any in a Dutch droll.

“In this frantic condition they were confined, lest they should, in their folly, destroy themselves – though it was observed that all their actions were full of innocence and good nature. Indeed they were not very cleanly; for they would have wallowed in their own excrements, if they had not been prevented. A thousand such simple tricks they played, and after 11 days returned to themselves again, not remembering anything that had passed.”

Jimsonweed References

Stephanie…if you ride by and see me running around, stark naked, screaming like a monkey…just smile and keep on riding…saying to yourself “That Ms. Dingle…she always was quite a character in her history classes.”

It is amazing just how many plants we use on a daily basis that are potentially poisonous to our pets or other wild grazing animals.

I know this year Anne didn’t plant any moon flowers for the first time in a long time because of her new dog Nala… she didn’t want to take a chance she might ingest the plant since she is still pretty much just a big curious puppy!

*And don’t forget from my children’s story research…that I discovered our own state flower (Yellow Jessamine) can be poisonous if mistaken for honeysuckle and ingested by children or eaten by deer.

So until tomorrow…Wisdom begins in wonder. Socrates

*From now on I think I will just refer to it as “Jimmy’s Trumpet!”

“Today is my favorite day” Winnie the Pooh