Datura ferox

Long-spined thorn-apple

Family: Solanaceae · Type: annual · Not Native

Long-spined thorn-apple is a naturalized annual found in northern Sierra Nevada foothills, northern San Joaquin Valley, and southern Coast Ranges in disturbed areas at elevations below 1,350 meters. Flowering from April to October, this plant produces white or pale blue-purple flowers 4.5 to 5 centimeters long with short, narrow lobes. Growing up to one meter tall with nearly smooth stems that are slightly glabrous to sparsely hairy, it develops an upright habit. Its leaves are 10 to 20 centimeters long with wavy, coarsely lobed edges, giving the plant a distinctive appearance. The fruit is an erect capsule approximately 25 millimeters wide, covered in few but impressive prickles 8 to 22 millimeters long, with longer and stouter prickles toward the top.

Habitat: Disturbed areas

Bloom period: Apr-Oct

Elevation: < 1350 m

Bioregions: n SNF (Amador Co.), n SnJV, SCoRO

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.