Belladonna (Atropa belladonna) ~ Plant Identification
Plant Family & Name:
a. Solanaceae (Nightshade family)
b. Atropa comes from Atropos, one of the three Fates in Greek mythology. Atropos was the Fate who cut the thread of life, a reference to the plant’s deadly toxicity.
Belladonna means “beautiful lady” in Italian.
The name is traditionally associated with historical cosmetic use of preparations from the plant to enlarge the pupils of the eyes.
Common names include:
Deadly nightshade
Belladonna
Atropa
Dwale
Dwayberry
Devil’s berries
Great morel
Habitat & Ecological role:
Belladonna is native to parts of Europe and western Asia and has been introduced or cultivated elsewhere.
It prefers:
Woodland edges
Shady clearings
Limestone-rich soils
Forest margins
Disturbed woodland
Mountainous or hilly areas
It produces attractive purple-brown, bell-shaped flowers followed by shiny black berries.
Those berries can be especially dangerous because they look somewhat like edible berries.
The flowers are pollinated by insects, while birds and other wildlife can interact with the fruit, although animals vary considerably in their sensitivity to the plant’s toxins.
Parts Used:
Historically, medicinal preparations have been made from:
Leaves
Roots
Berries
However, all parts of the plant are poisonous.
The active alkaloids include:
Atropine
Scopolamine
Hyoscyamine
These compounds strongly affect the parasympathetic nervous system.
Because the concentration can vary substantially between plants and plant parts, homemade preparations are particularly dangerous.
Herbal Actions:
Historically described as:
Anticholinergic, antispasmodic, analgesic, sedative, mydriatic, and narcotic.
These are pharmacological effects rather than recommendations for home herbal use.
Belladonna is fundamentally different from gentle culinary herbs.
It is a potent poisonous medicinal plant.
Season:
Flowers generally appear in summer, followed by berries that mature through summer and into early autumn.
Taste:
Not reliably useful for identification.
Do not taste the plant to determine what it is.
Energetic Qualities:
Historically characterized as powerful, drying, stimulating, narcotic, and strongly dispersive.
Traditional & Historical Uses:
Belladonna has a long and complicated medicinal history.
Historically, preparations were used for:
Pain
Muscle spasms
Certain gastrointestinal cramps
Respiratory spasms
Neurological symptoms
Eye examinations and pupil dilation
Its alkaloids eventually became important in modern medicine.
Atropine, for example, remains an important pharmaceutical drug and has specific medical uses.
But this does not mean raw belladonna is safe medicine.
Modern pharmaceuticals containing purified, standardized compounds are fundamentally different from homemade belladonna preparations.
Body system affinities:
Nervous system, eyes, gastrointestinal tract, respiratory system, cardiovascular system.
Safety:
Belladonna is HIGHLY POISONOUS.
This is one of the plants in your collection that should be treated as a poisonous plant rather than a home herbal remedy.
Do not:
Eat the berries
Make tea from the leaves
Make tinctures from the plant
Chew the roots
Use homemade eye preparations
Apply homemade preparations to the body
Experiment with extracts
Children are particularly vulnerable because the berries can look appealing.
Belladonna poisoning can produce dry mouth, dilated pupils, blurred vision, rapid heartbeat, urinary retention, confusion, agitation, hallucinations, seizures, coma, and potentially death.
Importantly, poisoning can occur from relatively small amounts, and the alkaloid concentration varies between plants.
If someone may have eaten belladonna or another poisonous nightshade, do not wait for symptoms to appear. Contact your local poison-control/emergency service promptly and tell them the plant involved if known.
Experience:
Belladonna is perhaps one of the clearest examples of a plant where beauty and danger exist side by side.
Continue Exploring October in the Apothecary
Poisonous Plants, Medicine & Myth
Old plants, strange histories, medicine, mythology, folklore, and the stories humans have woven around the botanical world.
Haunted Trails & Forgotten Places
Old paths, forgotten places, local history, and the stories that linger in landscapes long after the people have gone.
More October stories will be added throughout the month.
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