Beautiful weeds.

Mexican Thistle


Poppy Thistle


Datura

Although they are beautiful, they are considered weeds here in AZ.

You can buy seeds for the Datura from seed companies. In some parts it is grown as flowers.
Where the ground freezes deeper than hwere in AZ, the plants are an annual. Here in AZ. they are perenial. When we planted the agaves under the windows, we dug one up. It had a tuberous root that was on it's way to China. They are considered toxic but the birds eat the seeds and the wild pigs will eat the green seed pods. I have seen plants 2 feet tall and 4 feet wide covered with huge white trumpets. They are sometimes called Moonflowers because the flowers close up in the heat of day and open again in the evening. They are fertilized mainly by moths. They set on round prickly seed pods that can remain on the plant until the next spring befor bursting open. We have a number of them in the yard. Sweet smell.


The Poppy thistles grow all along the roadsides. In some places they will grow in the fields and yards. We don't have them in our yard. They are coveted by the honey bees. With so many of the plants, the bees must collect a lot of necter. When I took pictures of them they were swarming with honey bees. Very sweet smell.


The Mexican thistles are much shorter than the russian thistles and a whole lot pricklier. They have beautiful huge red flowers. A faint sweet smell and loved by the hummingbirds.

I will post some other flowering weeds in a later post....

Granny