lovely plant with no name

Please could someone help identify this plant,
I have grown it from seed which was given to me by my neighbour and he does not know what it is.
The leaves have black dots on them.
The blue bulbs have a yellow center bit and close at night, although I have seen them closed in the day.
The stems are black/dark burgendy colour.
Any suggestions gratefully received

 

Hello Zoe and welcome to GC.

You have a Datura there and very healthy and lush looking it is as well. Where do you live? Is it in a greenhouse/conservatory? Lucky you that it is blooming already as mine does not even have buds yet, but mine does live outdoors permanently.

The seeds pods will be round spikey spheres that you should allow to dry out before picking.

The other name for them is Devil's Trumpets as they are trumpeting toward the sky. Their relative, Brugmansia, is called Angel's Trumpets as they trumpet downwards toward the earth. Brugmansia seedpods look like green beans.

 

Looks like nicandra physalodes to me or shoo fly plant to give it its more common name, very rapid growing annual the seed pods are very pretty too.

 

Hi Victoria,

Thanks for giving it a name for me,

I live in Hampshire, I initially had the seeds indoors as my utility room is almost like a greenhouse as it has a seethrough roof. The plant has been outside for a couple of months!

How big will it grow and should I take it out the pot?

 

Having looked on the internet after the replies,its definately a Shoo fly plant

 

I agree with simbad.
Definitely Nicandra physalodes.

nicandra physalodes - Google Search

 

I stand corrected and as I say, you learn something every day.

I lived in the Deep South (Alabama) where the Shoe Fly plant was a common plant .. but that was the 60s/70s so a LONG time ago. Someone from GC kindly sent me seeds but I could not get them going here ... think too dry as they prefer humid climates.

Sorry I misled you Zoe ... but now you know all you need to know about Daturas and Brugmansias ...

 

Dont worry Victoria, I think its related to Dats and Brugs.
In any case not a million miles away.

 

Its a lovely plant Zoe. Put it in a big pot and feed it and love it. I have had it up to about 5 feet and I have heard of them at 8 feet in this country. But if its in a small pot and unfed you won't get much more than 2 feet.

Its an annual, and later this year you will have loads of seed for next year.

As Pete says - like Brugs and Dats its a member of the solanacea family, along with the potato and tomato.

 

Hi PeterS,
Thanks for the tip about bigger pot, silly question but what should I feed it with? I am still new to gardening!

 

Zoe - there are a million and one different views on feeding plants. But I think a general rule is that if its in the ground it doesn't really need feeding because the soil contain lots of food. But if its in a pot it does, as compost contains very little

The simplest and cheapest way is to use a general feed like Miraclegrow. Make it up as per instructions on the packet and feed every one to two weeks. As long as you are feeding something the plant will do well.

If you really want to be technical, you could feed Miraclegrow early in the season as its high in nitrogen and good for foliage, then later you could switch to a tomato feed which is high in potassium and good for flowers and fruit. I use Phostrogen, which is a soluble powder like Miraclegrow. It does the same job as the liquid tomato feeds, but works out cheaper as you are not paying a heavy price for the water.

But the main thing is just to feed something.