Datura quercifolia

Oak-leaved thorn-apple

Family: Solanaceae · Type: annual

Oak-leaved thorn-apple is a naturalized annual found in disturbed areas at elevations below 300 meters. Flowering from June to July and September to November, this plant produces white to violet or purple flowers 4 to 8 centimeters long with short, narrow lobes. Growing 30 to 80 centimeters tall with sprawling to erect stems that are nearly glabrous or sparsely hairy, it has a distinctive spreading habit. Its leaves are 6 to 16 centimeters long, coarsely toothed and deeply pinnately lobed, creating a ragged, oak-like appearance. The fruit is an erect capsule about 25 millimeters wide, covered in sharp prickles 5 to 20 millimeters long that are particularly long and stout at the tip.

Habitat: Disturbed areas

Bloom period: Jun-Jul, Sep--Nov

Elevation: < 300 m

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