Devil's Trumpet

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Pallando
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Location: San Antonio TX

Devil's Trumpet

Post by Pallando »

I just learned the most wonderful Mexican superstition/ tradition!!!

I am new to southern TX, and for about a year I have been very much admiring the Devil's Trumpet plant in my neighbor-up-the-street's front yard. This plant is a very pleasantly fragrant night bloomer, and has slightly psychoactive properties. I just caught her outside and quickly walked to her house to ask if I could, "harvest a few seed pods when the blooms fall away"?

She laughed and said "no way... you have to come and steal them!!"

In conversation I learned that it is considered extremely bad luck in Mexican Tradition to 'give' a plant to someone, and just as bad to sell anything to your neighbor. So the only way to share things like houseplants and yard plantings is to actually steal them. AND its TOTALLY expected and acceptable. Before I knew it, I was surrounded by three more lovely crones ;) from nearby homes, all with glasses of wine and faces full of laughter and kindness, who dottered and flirted and chided the new 'gringo' on the block. And forthwith I was inundated with announcements of their now fully developed plans to come to my house to steal many of the giant elephant ear plants in my front yard that they had all been admiring all summer. After a glass of front yard wine with my new friends, I left with a long list of vulnerable-to-theft plants in all of their front yards that wouldnt be missed or cause surprise to be found gone.

What I learned today; "Walk up the street and say hi to old women, whenever the proposition presents itself"


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planewalker
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Re: Devil's Trumpet

Post by planewalker »

You've internalized an important piece of wisdom. Elderly ladies should be loved and payed attention to. They are wisdom carriers and they are more then happy to explain whatever you or they bring up. They may have Craft knowledge you could find useful. Though I doubt any of them is a beau-ceure, I've no doubt they can tell you who in the neighborhood is.
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Firebird
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Re: Devil's Trumpet

Post by Firebird »

Funny, I've heard them called Angels trumpets. Guess it depends on who's lore is being related.
https://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/3017/
Brugmansia is a wonderful plant with a delightfully intoxicating light fragrance reminiscent of a tropical beach.
It it said to dream under the plant will bring you prophetic dreams. After all it is related to Datura :)
We had one in the backyard it was from a friend who had a nursery. It was one of my favorite plants, I could smell it up in the treehouse, lovely way to wake up.
smiley_dance
I'm especially enchanted with their pentagonal bud and flower. Magic for sure.
I'm not sure I'd be completely happy about plants being swiped, the what's mine is yours gets old when all your oranges are getting stolen off the tree. That's reaching over the fence, mind you, not the parkway.....the parkway is kinda the free zone, its a good place to make things dissappear !
:shock:
Bb, Firebird
“There are things known and things unknown and in between are the Doors.”
― Jim Morrison
“All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.”
― RWEmerson
:mrgreen:
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