"Mark Herbert wrote Of the many plants of ethnopharmacological interest
which I grow in my
yard, I am particularly fond of my Brugmansias. I have several in pots
and a few in the ground. They are perennial in my zone (7b), dying
back
to the ground each winter. This one grows to about 8-9 feet tall each
summer and has very large leaves up to 18" long, and big double creamy
white flowers. The flowers are practically odorless in the day, but as
soon as the sun sets they exude a powerfully hypnotic fragrance which
is
said to cause intense nightmares if you should have one planted outside
your bedroom window. All parts of this plant are poisonous, containing
tropane alkaloids which have been used by shamans for time immemorial
for divination and healing.




And killing rivals....

Indeed. And that failing, driving them permanently insane.

Ah, that explains a lot, my sis-in-law swallowed a one inch bit of twig when
she was pruning hers a few years back. :-)

Seriously, she suffered strange palpitations and felt really weird for some
hours afterwards and having phoned her local Hospital on my insistence was
getting calls from the Toxic Plant experts in London every half hour until
she settled down.
Not something she would wish to repeat.

--
Regards
Bob H
17mls W. of London.UK