A legal, readily available plant is the new drug of choice for a growing number of Treasure Valley teens, police say.

Abuse of the poisonous datura, a form of jimson weed also known as moonflower, has been on the rise since September, particularly in West Ada County, Ada County sheriff's Detective Ryan Pacheco said during a press conference Thursday.

Ingestion of moonflower seeds has sent multiple teens to the hospital in recent weeks.

One boy went into a coma for three hours, while other kids have spent days in the intensive care unit.

"It's really scary stuff," said Pacheco, a school resource officer at Eagle and Eagle Academy high schools, where he has handled a combined five cases of moonflower abuse.

Police have no explanation for the drug's sudden rise in popularity, nor how widespread its usage is.

"This plant has been around for a long time," Pacheco said. "These things go through cycles, and right now it's something new for the kids to try."

Moonflower, so named because the plant's flowers open at night, commonly is found along canals and irrigation banks. Considered a weed, it is used to kill other weeds along banks without obstructing water flow and is common along roads and in pastures.

The plant produces a high accompanied by hallucinations, followed by fever, nausea, dizziness, short-term memory loss and other symptoms that can last for days. The high often is followed by bizarre, violent behavior. Eating the seeds can lead to severe liver damage and death, Pacheco said.

Last week, a Meridian boy on moonflower was found walking around his neighborhood talking to himself. He "freaked out" when responding police touched him. It took four officers to get him into an ambulance.

"It causes a lot of excitement and euphoria then it turns on you very quick. You become very agitated, very angry, very violent," Pacheco said.

Datura should not be confused with a species of morning glory vine, Ipomoea alba, that also is referred to as moonflower.

Local gardeners grow Ipomoea alba as an annual. Its seeds are also poisonous, but they do not cause hallucinations. Ingesting them simply will make a person ill, said Anju Lucas, head of the perennial department at Edwards Greenhouse.

Because datura is a legal plant, its cultivation or use as a drug cannot be policed.

Officers are, however, attempting to educate students and the public about its dangers.

"After the first few kids ended up in the emergency room, we did a lot of talking with the student body at my school," Pacheco said.

Police also have sent an alert to Neighborhood Watch groups, located homes where the plant is growing and talked to the homeowners, and spoken to area plant sellers.

"I've had a great response from the nurseries and greenhouses that I've talked to. A lot of them have agreed not to sell it anymore," Pacheco said.

Anyone concerned about moonflower in their yard, or who needs help identifying it, should contact the police.

Katy Moeller and Anna Webb contributed to this article.

Chad Dryden: 672-6734