Iraq's Ministry of Interior has issued a warning about the spread of the datura plant, commonly known as 'devil's trumpet' or 'thorn apple,' calling on farmers and citizens to report any sightings immediately.
According to the official statement, datura contains highly toxic chemical compounds that can affect the nervous systems of humans, animals, and plants, posing a serious threat to agricultural crops. This plant typically grows sparsely in desert regions but can also be cultivated for medicinal properties. However, its spread in Iraq has now become uncontrollable.
Datura is easily identifiable by its trumpet-shaped white or purple flowers, green spiny fruits, and large leaves that emit a pungent odor. While classified as a poisonous plant, it contains tropane alkaloids such as atropine, hyoscyamine, and scopolamine—substances used in medicine to dilate pupils, treat motion sickness, and as anticonvulsants, but only in very precise doses. Professor Khalid Mohammed Omer of Sulaimani University noted that this plant has been used medicinally for 500 years.
Native to Central America, datura was historically used by indigenous peoples in traditional medicine as an anesthetic and pain reliever. When Europeans arrived in the Americas at the end of the 15th century, they brought the plant back to Europe, from where it spread worldwide. It is now invading Iraqi agriculture.
Remarkable adaptability
Scientists are baffled by datura's ability to thrive in climates vastly different from its original habitat. A study by the University of Seville in Spain, based on more than 124,000 global records of the plant, identified approximately 7,444 sites where it is present. Notably, 57 percent of these are in cold environments, starkly contrasting its original warm, humid habitat. Only 1 percent of the world's suitable land is untouched by the plant.
In Iraq, nitrogen-rich soil along riverbanks, combined with a hot semi-arid climate, has created an 'ideal environment' for the plant to expand, said Professor Mohamed Elhagarey of the Egyptian Desert Research Center.
Instant adaptation
Surprisingly, datura does not require hundreds of years to adapt to new terrain. It possesses an 'inherent capacity for instant adaptation' the moment its seeds touch the ground. The decline in agricultural activity during periods of war and conflict in Iraq has inadvertently aided this process. 'Abandoned, fertile farmland has provided the perfect conditions for this plant to take root,' Elhagarey explained.
Iraqi authorities are now implementing a comprehensive campaign against the plant using biological controls, pesticide spraying, and public awareness initiatives. However, experts warn that the plant is still capable of further expansion, especially in warm regions it has yet to reach.
