 The species was long thought to have originated in southeastern China, but recent work by Symon and Haegi has demonstrated that, like all other "Datura" species, it is in fact native to the Americas.The species is very close in morphology to "Datura quercifolia", of which it may constitute a subspecies.Today it is found in all the warm parts of the earth, where it is regarded as a dangerous pasture weed.