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Common Name:

General Information

Hyoscyamus aureus is a Biennial/Perennial up to 0.60 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 to W. Asia.

Habitat

Cliffs, old walls and ruins to 1200 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Biennial/Perennial
Height	0.60 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

The whole plant is analgesic[]. Caution is advised, see notes above on toxicity.

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[].