Q. I have a second year Jimsonweed which I started
from seed. It really grew this year and now all leaves are
gone. Should I cut back the large branches or leave it alone?
A. I wont ask you why you have jimson weed
but you are aware that parts of it are hallucinogenic and please be careful
with it. It was used by some southwestern Native Americans for religious
rituals. It is possible to cause kidney and heart failure if mishandled.It is now recognized for some potential health benefits but you have to know what you are doing to use it safely. Compounds that are potentially dangerous can vary widely from plant to plant.
It is an annual in northern climates and
a perennial in tropical climates and herbaceous perennial in semitropical
climates. You should start it from seed every year if it is planted in a
location where temperatures get low enough to kill it outright. In our climate
of the Mojave Desert the top will die when it freezes and regrows from the base
in the spring. So, sometime this winter cut it to within about one inch of the
soil and let it regrow when it is warm. Mulch it during cold weather.
a perennial in tropical climates and herbaceous perennial in semitropical
climates. You should start it from seed every year if it is planted in a
location where temperatures get low enough to kill it outright. In our climate
of the Mojave Desert the top will die when it freezes and regrows from the base
in the spring. So, sometime this winter cut it to within about one inch of the
soil and let it regrow when it is warm. Mulch it during cold weather.