[Trish]

I live in Indiana my Datura comes up every Spring, our winters are below zero but they always pop up. What I have read about them is that every part of the plant is poison, if this is true then why do my humming birds like the nector & why doesnt it hurt them? I would like to know if this is going to kill my little Hummers I wouldnt want that to happen.
Thank You
Beverly XXXX
Frankfort, IN.

[Ruth Ann]

Things that are toxic to humans are not necessarily toxic to animals/insects/birds.
If they were, then the bees would die trying to pollinate these toxic plants I would imagine. Perhaps the nectar in the blooms doesn't contain the alkaloids the other plant parts do but I really feel your hummers are quite safe.
You may be interested to do a google search and just see how many of your garden plants are on the 'toxic parts' list of garden plants.

It's a small world, I know someone who lives in Frankfort and I am wayyyy up here in Canada.

[Robbie]

Nature has that way of making things safe for the birds. They will not eat those plants that that would harm them. It is one of the things that we teach new hunters that if your not sure it is safe for you then don't try any.

Robbie

[Joe Wright]

Trish it would be counter productive for plants to transport toxins to the flower as they depend on ALL visitors to pollinate and distroibute the seeds. Thers are many plants in nature that are like protected from leaf predators that do not "poison" the friendly pollinmators. Visitors to the flowers are attracted to the pollen via the nectar offered so it is in the plants interst to offer a safe nectar. Joe

[Valentina]

I don't know about the hummingbirds, but I remember reading somewhere that the bees get addicted to datura pollen :))LOL they get "drunk". It won't kill them, but I think they get the buzz, because I've seen how desperate they are to get into those closed flowers.

Some time ago I found some articles about honey made of Datura stramonium and Datura inoxia as being poisonous (for humans), but they don't say if this honey was made by bees or not.



Valentina