The leaves of the Sacred Datura (
Datura wrightii), also known as the Sacred Thorn Apple, resemble the leaves of the eggplant (both are nightshades), but unlike the very delicious and nutritious eggplant, Datura tastes more like a relentless, violent, three day long nightmare that more than likely culminates in death or at least permanent psychosis
So don't eat it!
Viewed from a distance, though, this wide spreading, night blooming perennial is a desert beauty to behold. Often seen on roadsides where their roots catch the runoff from an occasional rainstorm, the Datura is pollinated mainly by the Sphinx Moth, which in its caterpillar stage, loves to dine on another favorite nightshade, the tomato.
Remember, if you are new to desert living, you should know that native desert dwellers are taught from the earliest age to always enjoy Datura from a distance. Good advice, as the name 'Datura' is said to come from Sanskrit, meaning "the eternal substance (as in not of this embodied world) of the gods," or as one close to Hinduism might suggest: "The Call of Yama, the god of death."