Moon flowers
When we think of flowers, we think of them opening up to bloom in the sunlight, but the Moonflower’s large white trumpet-shaped flowers unfurl at nighttime , by moonlight.
This beautiful flower is part of the nightshade family and though they are considered toxic, they are used in medicine and have been studied for their capacity to absorb heavy metals in bioremediation projects.
Cultures around the world have used it as a sacred visionary plant and Datura is believed to have been used by the Delphic oracles in ancient Greece to induce their legendary visions.
The Chumash Indians of Southern California believed that the old grandmother “Momoy” turned herself into the plant Datura after the great flood, which marked the transition between mythical times and the modern world.
Georgia O’Keeffe often painted the Datura flowers and said, “when I think of the delicate fragrance of the flowers, I almost feel the coolness and sweetness of the evening.”
Photo courtesy of: Dinesh Valke from Thane, India, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Datura\_inoxia\_(8482127654).jpg
https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/ethnobotany/Mind\_and\_Spirit/datura.shtml