Hallucinogenic Weed Used By Charles Manson Grows On UWS: Reports

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY —Highly-toxic weeds that can cause a zombie-like hallucinogenic trance or even kill those who ingest it were spotted flourishing in a concrete median on the Upper West Side, according to reports.

A Datura stramonium bush sprouted in the median on Columbus Avenue near West 93rd Street, taking up almost the entire patch of soil, the West Side Rag first reported. A photo of the dangerous, but common weed was posted by former city Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe.

The Bloomberg-era bureaucrat warned that the plant, also known as Jimsonweed, can be fatally toxic and commented that it's growth on the street shows "what happens when NYC doesn't maintain its public spaces."

The Department of Transportation said that the Datura stramonium bush was removed on Monday.

Jimsonweed is well-known for its hallucinogenic properties that often result in a dangerous or bad trip. The bush was used by Nazi "Angel of Death" Josef Mengele and the Manson family and has been referenced in works such as the Homer's Odyssey and Shakespearean plays, Gothamist reported.

When grown on the street, the plant represents a threat to public safety because a pet or child could easily swallow a part of it. Marc Hachadourian of the New York Botanical Garden told Gothamist that "all parts of the plant are toxic and should not be ingested even in small amounts."