Datura Fastuosa, Kala Dhatura - 0.5 kg Seeds

Kala Dhatura (Datura metel) is a robust soft-wooded herb or short-lived shrub with broad ovate leaves and large, fragrant trumpet-shaped flowers that may be white or flushed purple, followed by spiny seed capsules. The dark-stemmed form is the one traditionally called kala (black) dhatura.

It is best known as a medicinal plant in Ayurveda and Unani systems, used in carefully prepared formulations for respiratory and pain-relieving purposes, though every part is poisonous and must be handled with care. Its showy blooms also make it a striking, if cautionary, ornamental. In India it grows commonly as a wayside and wasteland plant across the plains and lower hills, and is cultivated for medicinal raw material.

• Family: Solanaceae
• Native region: Tropical Asia
• Mature height: 1–1.5 m
• Growth rate: Fast

Soak the seeds in water for 24 hours to soften the coat and improve germination. Sow about 0.5–1 cm deep in a seed tray or directly in warm, well-drained soil; germination usually takes 14–21 days in warm conditions. Thin or prick out the seedlings and transplant them to their final position, handling the plant with care as it is toxic.