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Common Name: White Henbane

General Information

Hyoscyamus albus is a Annual/Biennial up to 0.90 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine..

Known Hazards

All parts of the plant are very toxic[, , , , , ]. Symptoms of poisoning include impaired vision, convulsions, coma and death from heart or respiratory failure[].

Botanical References

Range

S. Europe.

Habitat

Dry, uncultivated ground, walls and field margins.

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Annual/Biennial
Height	0.90 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a hot dry position[] in a wall or rock crevice[]. Succeeds in a well-drained fertile soil, preferably of an alkaline nature, in full sun[]. Grows well in maritime areas[].
Plants are possibly hardy to about -10°c[], they are unlikely to succeed in the colder areas of Britain.
Self-sows freely, it can be grown in wild informal areas of the garden[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

Henbane has a very long history of use as a medicinal herb, and has been widely cultivated to meet the demand for its use[]. It is used extensively as a sedative and pain killer and is specifically used for pain affecting the urinary tract, especially when due to kidney stones[]. Its sedative and antispasmodic effect makes it a valuable treatment for the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, relieving tremor and rigidity during the early stages of the disease[]. This species is generally considered the best for internal use, whilst the black henbane (H. niger) is the form most used externally[].
All parts of the plant, but especially the leaves and the seeds, can be used - they are anodyne, antispasmodic, mildly diuretic, hallucinogenic, hypnotic, mydriatic, narcotic and sedative[, , , , , , , ]. The plant is used internally in the treatment of asthma, whooping cough, motion sickness, Meniere's syndrome, tremor in senility or paralysis and as a pre-operative medication[]. Henbane reduces mucous secretions, as well as saliva and other digestive juices[]. Externally, it is used as an oil to relieve painful conditions such as neuralgia, dental and rheumatic pains[, ].The leaves should be harvested when the plant is in full flower and they can then be dried for later use[]. This is a very poisonous plant that should be used with great caution, and only under the supervision of a qualified practitioner[, ]. See the notes above on toxicity.
The seed is used in the treatment of asthma, cough, epilepsy, myalgia and toothache[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe, older seed rapidly loses viability[]. Either sow in situ or pot up the seedlings whilst still small because plants produce a long taproot and older plants resent root disturbance[].