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Jimsonweed (
Manage Weeds On Your Farm
Jimsonweed
SARE Outreach
Charles L. Mohler, John R. Teasdale, Antonio
DiTommaso | 2021 | 416 pages

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Photo credit (left to right): Antonio DiTommaso,
Cornell University. Randall Prostak, University of
Massachusetts. Antonio DiTommaso, Cornell
University.

Datura stramonium L.

Identification
Other common names: stramonium,
Jamestown weed, thorn apple, mad apple,
stinkwort, angel’s trumpet, devil’s trumpet,
dewtry, whiteman’s weed, purple thornapple

Family: Nightshade family, Solanaceae

Habit: Erect, branched, summer annual herb

Description: The seedling is large, with

cotyledons that are 1.2–1.6 inch long by 0.2
inch wide, lanceolate, hairless and thick.
Cotyledons have an obvious vein, and the
petioles have hairs on the upper surface. The
seed coat often remains on the cotyledon tips
after emergence. The seedling stem gradually
turns purple, starting at the base. The first pair
of true leaves is opposite, egg to triangle
shaped with non-toothed, entire edges, and
strongly veined on the underside; the first true
leaves appear gray-green due to very small,
scattered hairs on the puckered leaf surface.
Other young leaves show edge irregularity and
have flat hairs only above veins and on the leaf
stalk. Mature plants reach 1–6 feet in height
and branch in their upper portions. Stems are
purple, 1–2 inches thick and have either no
hairs or very small, inconspicuous hairs.
Leaves are alternate, oval to triangular in
outline, and irregularly toothed, giving them an
overall oak-leaf appearance. Leaves are dark
green, hairless, strongly veined and 2–6 inches
long by 1–4 inches wide. The taproot system
is shallow, broad, thick and highly divided. The
entire plant has a strong, unpleasant odor.
Trumpet-shaped, white or purple, solitary
flowers sit on stalks arising from leaf-stem
junctures on upper plant portions. Flowers
have five green, ridged, 1.4–1.8 inch-long
sepals covering the base of the five fused
petals. The petals are 2–4 inches long and 1–
2 inches wide; each petal tip has a pointed,
thin projection that extends 0.2–0.3 inch
beyond the rim of the flower. Each plant
produces up to 50 egg-shaped, 0.8–1.2 inch-
long by 0.75 inch-wide, green fruit capsules;
the entire fruit is covered with 0.13–0.4 inch-
long prickles and spines. The capsule turns
brown and splits into four chambers. Capsules
of vigorous plants contain approximately 600–
700 seeds. Seeds are kidney shaped, flat,
black, wrinkled and 0.13–0.14 inch long.

Similar species: Seedlings of common

cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium L.) can be
differentiated from those of jimsonweed by
their lack of odor and larger, 2 inch-long by 0.4
inch-wide cotyledons. Young common
cocklebur leaves are covered with small, rigid
hairs, and older leaves do not resemble oak
leaves.

Management
Because this weed is extraordinarily
responsive to nutrients, avoiding over-
fertilization, particularly with P and N, is crucial
for long-term control. Keep this species
controlled around manure and compost
storage areas to avoid spreading seeds into
fields. Avoid incorporating seeds into the soil
after crop harvest, if possible, because
jimsonweed is particularly susceptible to loss
of viability when the seeds are left exposed on
the soil surface.

Jimsonweed is relatively intolerant of crop

competition. Its growth form changes when
subject to competition, with the plant
becoming less branched and sloughing the
lower leaves. Even though plants commonly
emerge above the canopy of mid-sized crops
like soybeans, heavy competition during early
growth greatly decreases total productivity and
seed set. Thus, steps that increase the
competitive ability of the crop are highly
desirable. Since most of the jimsonweed plant
lies above the canopy of most crops, topping
the plants with a mower should greatly
decrease both competition with the crop and
weed seed production.

Because seedlings commonly emerge from

below the working depth of rotary hoes and
tine weeders, these implements are relatively
ineffective for controlling jimsonweed. Tine
weeding should focus on maximizing lateral
movement of soil to bury seedlings. In crops
that tolerate hilling, bury young seedlings as
early as crop growth will permit, since
jimsonweed makes rapid vertical growth.

No-till and cover crop surface residue can

reduce jimsonweed emergence. Both
conditions reduce soil temperature and light at
the soil surface, thus depriving jimsonweed
seeds of the relatively warm temperatures and
light they require for germination.

Ecology
Origin and distribution: The origin of
jimsonweed is uncertain but most likely is in
tropical South or Central America, although it
may have originated in Asia. It now occurs
throughout the tropical and temperate regions
of the world. It is widespread in southeastern
Canada and throughout the United States
except for the coldest parts of the Midwest
and far west.

Seed weight: Most population mean seed

weights range from 5.6–11.7 mg, but mean
weights of 1.8–2.4 mg have been observed for
populations near the northern edge of the
species range. Seed germination generally
increases as seed weight increases, with
weights over 6 mg per seed providing greatest
germination.

Dormancy and germination: Variable

conditions have been reported to break seed
dormancy. Seeds are kept dormant by a
combination of a hard seed coat and
germination inhibitor that eventually washes
out of the seed. Seeds buried at 8 inches had
no dormancy when exhumed, whereas seeds
buried at 2 inches maintained dormancy for
one year before losing dormancy after
exposure to cold winter temperatures. A large
day/night temperature fluctuation of 90/54°F
effectively overcame dormancy whereas a
smaller fluctuation of 90/81°F did not. Seeds
buried in soil at 41–50°F became sensitized to
germinate when exposed even briefly to light.
In most situations, light is a critical factor in
triggering germination. Re-burial of
photosensitized seeds can induce dormancy,
probably due to volatile compounds in the soil
that increase in proportion to depth. Base
temperature for germination ranged from 46–
52°F. Seeds germinate best at 68–95°F with
alternating daily temperatures being most
stimulatory. Germination is reduced by low
moisture conditions more than that of many
other weed species.

Seed longevity: In one experiment, over 91% of

seeds buried at 22 inches survived more than
39 years. Seeds did not lose viability when
buried 2–8 inches for 22 months in Israel.
Most seeds remained viable after burial at 8
inches for 17 years at one location, but all lost
viability after three years at another location in
Nebraska. First year assessment of seed
mortality in these experiments indicated an
annual loss rate of 14% and 6%. Based on an
experiment in which the seeds were buried at 4
inches, we calculated an average loss per year
of about 50%. Annual tillage without allowing
seed replacement virtually eliminated a
jimsonweed seed bank in six years. Burial of
jimsonweed seeds by fall tillage promotes
seed survival. The wide range in longevity
reported for this species may be related to
differences in the duration of hard seed coat
integrity.

Season of emergence: Most seedlings emerge

from mid-spring to early summer, but some
seedlings continue to appear throughout the
summer following rain. Jimsonweed has been
categorized as “middle-emerging” relative to
other weeds.

Emergence depth: Seedlings emerge well from

0.4–2 inches; a few can emerge from as deep
as 4 inches, but none emerge from 6 inches.
Seeds on the soil surface have reduced
germination. Lower emergence from 1.6 inch
in clay than in sandy soils was related to
poorer gas exchange in clay soils.

Photosynthetic pathway: C3

Sensitivity to frost: Jimsonweed is frost

sensitive. Seeds in immature capsules do not
continue to mature after frost.

Drought tolerance: Jimsonweed can survive in

sandy pastures and similar dry sites but
thrives best on fertile soil and high rainfall.
This species was more competitive with crops
under above-average rainfall than under
drought conditions. It has a higher rate of
water loss and greater physiological sensitivity
to water stress than other weeds.

Mycorrhiza: No studies have reported on the

mycorrhizal status of jimsonweed.

Response to fertility: Jimsonweed growth

responds strongly to nitrogen. It accumulates
higher concentrations of N than most crops.
Alkaloid content also increases with N. It also
shows a strong growth response to P and K. In
one study, it was the most responsive to P out
of 10 warm-season weeds. The species is
commonly found in nutrient-rich sites like
barnyards and around manure piles.
Jimsonweed tolerates soil pH as low as 4.7,
but growth is reduced below pH 5.4.

Soil physical requirements: Jimsonweed does

best on good quality agricultural soils but can
tolerate a wide range of soil conditions.

Response to shade: Light shade (25%)

stimulates growth of jimsonweed, thereby
prompting the plant to grow through partial
crop canopies. Moderately heavy shade (75%),
however, substantially reduces growth.

Sensitivity to disturbance: Cut or trampled

plants regenerate from buds near the base of
the stem. Immature capsules will continue to
ripen on cut branches or uprooted plants.

Time from emergence to reproduction:

Flowering begins about five to nine weeks
after emergence, with the time to flowering
less for later emerging plants and for
populations from more northerly latitudes.
Each flower is open for only one day.
Jimsonweed is indeterminate, so it continues
to flower as plants continue growth into late
summer. Seeds mature and are capable of
germination about one month after
fertilization, but capsules usually do not open
until about seven weeks after fertilization. In
Delaware, plants emerging later than early July
failed to produce mature capsules.

Pollination: Jimsonweed usually self-

pollinates, but occasionally plants may be
cross pollinated by insects. Inbreeding
depression of seed production can occur,
suggesting the need for outcrossing to
maintain vigorous populations.

Reproduction: Vigorous plants at low densities

produce up to 50 capsules and 30,000 seeds
per plant. In contrast, plants stressed by
competition may only produce 1,300–1,500
seeds.

Dispersal: Seeds are dispersed by combines

and in soil clinging to tillage implements, tires,
shoes and livestock. Seeds can contaminate
grain and cover crop seed. Several
introductions through contaminated soybean
seed have been reported. The seeds and
capsules float well and disperse along streams
and irrigation ditches. The spines on the
capsules are not effective for dispersing the
seed.

Common natural enemies: Three-lined potato

beetles (Lema trivittata and L. trilineata)
destroy seedlings and can cause severe
defoliation of larger plants. Greater damage to
foliage from L. trilineata and other herbivores
was observed in inbred than in outcrossed
populations.

Palatability: Both leaves and seeds are highly

toxic to humans and livestock due to alkaloids
and sometimes nitrate. Many people have died
from grain contaminated with jimsonweed
seeds. Since the foliage is extremely
unpalatable and poisoning causes loss of
appetite, damage to grazing livestock is
usually limited.

Weed Characteristics Summary

Table

Jimsonweed

Optimum Seed Seed

Seed Optimum
Seed Factors temperature mortality mortality Typical
dormancy emergence
Growth habit weight breaking for in untilled in tilled emergence
at depth
(mg) dormancy germination soil soil season
shedding (inches)
(F) (%/year) (%/year)

mid-spring
scd, cms,
tall, branched 6–12 Yes 68–95 6–50 na to early 0.4–2
li, at
summer

Typical &
Emergence Flowering
high seed
Photosynthesis Frost Drought Response to to viable
Mycorrhiza Pollination production
type tolerance tolerance to nutrients flowering seed
(seeds per
(weeks) (weeks)
plant)

self, can 1,500 &

C3 low low na high 5–9 4
cross 30,000

Table Key

General: The designation “–” signifies that

data is not available or the category is not
applicable.

Growth habit: A two-word description; the first

word indicates relative height (tall, medium,
short, prostrate) and second word indicates
degree of branching (erect, branching, vining).

Seed weight: Range of reported values in units

of “mg per seed.”

Seed dormancy at shedding: “Yes” if most

seeds are dormant when shed, “Variable” if
dormancy is highly variable, “No” if most seeds
are not dormant.

Factors breaking dormancy: The principle

factors that are reported to break dormancy
and facilitate germination. The order of listing
does not imply order of importance.
Abbreviations are:

scd = seed coat deterioration

cms = a period subjected to cold, moist soil

conditions

wst = warm soil temperatures

li = light

at = alternating day-night temperatures

ni = nitrates

Optimum temperature range for germination:

Temperature (Fahrenheit) range that provides
for optimum germination of non-dormant
seeds. Germination at lower percentages can
occur outside of this range. The dash refers to
temperature range, and the slash refers to
alternating day/night temperature amplitudes.

Seed mortality in untilled soil: Range of

mortality estimates (percentage of seed
mortality in one year) for buried seeds in
untilled soil. Values were chosen where
possible for seeds placed at depths below the
emergence depth for the species and left
undisturbed until assessment. Mortality
primarily represents seed deterioration in soil.

Seed mortality in tilled soil: Range of mortality

estimates (percentage of seed mortality in one
year) for seeds in tilled soil. Values were
chosen for seeds placed within the tillage
depth and subjected to at least annual tillage
events. Seed losses are the result of
dormancy-breaking cues induced by tillage,
germination and deterioration of un-
germinated seeds.

Typical emergence season: Time of year when

most emergence occurs in the typical regions
of occurrence for each weed. Some
emergence may occur outside of this range.

Optimum emergence depth: Soil depths (in

inches below the soil surface) from which
most seedlings emerge. Lower rates of
emergence usually will occur at depths just
above or just below this range.

Photosynthesis type: Codes “C3” or “C4” refer

to the metabolic pathway for fixing carbon
dioxide during photosynthesis. Generally, C3
plants function better in cooler seasons or
environments and C4 plants function better in
warmer seasons or environments.

Frost tolerance: Relative tolerance of plants to

freezing temperatures (high, moderate, low).

Drought tolerance: Relative tolerance of plants

to drought (high, moderate, low).

Mycorrhiza: Presence of mycorrhizal fungi.

“Yes” if present; “no” if documented not to be
present, “unclear” if there are reports of both
presence and absence; “variable” if the weed
can function either with or without, depending
on the soil environment.

Response to nutrients: Relative plant growth

response to the nutrient content of soil,
primarily N, P, K (high, moderate, low).

Emergence to flowering: Length of time

(weeks) after emergence for plants to begin
flowering given typical emergence in the
region of occurrence. For species emerging in
fall, “emergence to flowering” means time
from resumption of growth in spring to first
flowering.

Flowering to viable seed: Length of time

(weeks) after flowering for seeds to become
viable.

Pollination: “Self” refers to species that

exclusively self-pollinate, “cross” refers to
species that exclusively cross-pollinate, “self,
can cross” refer to species that primarily self-
pollinate, but also cross-pollinate at a low rate,
and “both” refers to species that both self-
pollinate and cross-pollinate at relatively
similar rates.

Typical and high seed production potential:

The first value is seed production (seeds per
plant) under typical conditions with crop and
weed competition. The second value, high
seed production, refers to conditions of low
density without crop competition. Numbers
are rounded off to a magnitude that is
representative of often highly variable reported
values.

Further Reading
Pawlek, J.A., D.S. Murray and B.S. Smith. 1990.
Influence of capsule age on germination of
non-dormant jimsonweed (Datura stramonium)
seed. Weed Technology 4: 31–34.

Weaver, S.E. and S.L. Warwick. 1984. The

biology of Canadian Weeds. 64. Datura
stramonium L. Canadian Journal of Plant
Science 64: 979–991.

Zhang, J., M.L. Salas, N.R. Jordan and S.C.

Weller. 1999. Biorational approaches to
managing Datura stramonium. Weed Science
47: 750–756.

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