Beauty of the Desert at Night

Sacred Datura (datura stramonium) is a beautiful -- and deadly -- plant that grows all over the Southwest. Its beautiful, trumpet-shaped blossoms have a delicate, feminine scent. It seems impossible that all parts of the plant are deadly.

But it's true, and this fact seems to add so much mystery to the plant. And the sphynx moths that enjoy a special relationship with them are mysterious, too. These moths have very long tongues, which they use to sip the nectar at the bottom of the night-blooming datura. Some of the sphynx moths have red eyes, which adds even more to their mystery!

We have a large datura plant that grows on the east side of our home. The fragrance that wafts on the summer night air is intoxicating. I love to go outside at night and look at the blossoms and the moths.

One night, several years ago, when I could not sleep, I went outside to look at the large plant. There were so many blossoms, it was staggering. I decided to count them, and came up with an astounding 235! Absolutely amazing.

"Sacred Datura and Sphynx Moths"

Inspiration:  Beauty and mystery of the desert night.