Henbane

[Dan Salter]

What a great and interesting thread ! keep up the search

Im in Kent on the chalk areas and see a lot of Deadly Nightshade so i will keep my eyes open for henbane now...its an awesome looking flower too!

[wildherbalian85]

Originally Posted by Dan Salter

What a great and interesting thread ! keep up the search

Im in Kent on the chalk areas and see a lot of Deadly Nightshade so i will keep my eyes open for henbane now...its an awesome looking flower too!

Ahh it shouldn't be to hard to locate in kent especialy if your near to the coast

I agree with the flower, it is one of a wicked yet fantastic looking thing, with the deep veins running through it and the mixture of yellow, purple and black. I think Steven munday captured the flower well in his photo. I also like the way the flowers snake up as the plant grows.

The smell of the plant i find most intriguing.

[wildherbalian85]

Was looking through the many Henbane/ Belladonna pictures i have and for some reason (though not the best) this picture stuck out. I felt compelled to share it.

[Susie]

I've never seen Henbane before but I have seen plenty of deadly nightshade, both where I grew up in West London and locally.

[Dan Salter]

Originally Posted by Susie

I've never seen Henbane before but I have seen plenty of deadly nightshade, both where I grew up in West London and locally.

You must be a wicked witch?

[wildherbalian85]

Originally Posted by Susie

I've never seen Henbane before but I have seen plenty of deadly nightshade, both where I grew up in West London and locally.

Deadly nightshade is a funny one - were it grows it can be localy abundant yet still be very local.

Im supprised that belladonna would be growing in a big city like london - though saying that i have read London docklands are a good place to find Henbane. There are few places in West sussex that i know of were Deadly nightshade is common.

[wildherbalian85]

Originally Posted by Dan Salter

You must be a wicked witch?

• Henbane
• Deadly Nightshade
• Monkshood/ Wolfsbane
• Poison Hemlock

All of the above were supposedly used in witches brews

[wildherbalian85]

i was looking into the lesser known species of henbane and stumbled across this species....





Its called Hyoscyamus reticulatus and if you ask me i think it has an awesome looking flower

[zail]

What a fantastic looking plant! I just had a look and my local wild plant nursery stocks it.. If I were to plant it in the garden would it have any effect on the food chain - ie if slugs ate it (like they do everything else I plant!) and then the birds and frogs and newt ate the slugs? Would the berries from deadly nightshade poison birds if they ate them - or do the birds have more sense?

[wildherbalian85]

Originally Posted by zail

What a fantastic looking plant! I just had a look and my local wild plant nursery stocks it.. If I were to plant it in the garden would it have any effect on the food chain - ie if slugs ate it (like they do everything else I plant!) and then the birds and frogs and newt ate the slugs? Would the berries from deadly nightshade poison birds if they ate them - or do the birds have more sense?

With regards to belladonna and birds - probably not. Birds can eat the berries with little ill effect, also Rabbits can eat the foilage with no harm done. No harm to the food chain.

Henbane i doub't most things would bother to eat it - well insects maybe.

[zail]

Thanks for that - I might look into planting some henbane and see what my voracious slugs make of it .. my garden is pretty wild and overgrown at the moment (much to the delight of the frogs, toads, newts and Slow Worms) but I'd like to sort out different areas with unusual native plants in .. what sort of ground would suit henbane best (would it even be likely to grow in a city garden) ?

[wildherbalian85]

Originally Posted by zail

Thanks for that - I might look into planting some henbane and see what my voracious slugs make of it .. my garden is pretty wild and overgrown at the moment (much to the delight of the frogs, toads, newts and Slow Worms) but I'd like to sort out different areas with unusual native plants in .. what sort of ground would suit henbane best (would it even be likely to grow in a city garden) ?

Henbane will need well drained and nutrient rich(ish) soil. It will also require a sunny position as it hates shade. When planting henbane its best to clear a patch of any tall or bushy vegetation. Henbane can be grown in pot so yes it should fit in fine in a city garden

Growing deadly nightshade might be a problem as it requires sterile soil - whatever that means

[wildherbalian85]

Found thousands of young henbane plants today on two seperate strips of farm land...

That sea of green consists of around 85% Henbane



I was in middle of this second looking south again it was around 80% henbane




these next two were from the second strip...



At the edge of strip...

[jhewitt15]

never seen henbane - but would like to

a great patch of deadly nightshade grows next to Crag Road in Silverdale, Cumbria and there is a plant on Arnside Knott

[mrs fish]

Like the Opium Poppy fields.

Would these be medicinal or have they grown naturally ?

[jhewitt15]

As I commented before. There is a patch of deadly nightshade next to Crag Road in Silverdale for those interested who live in the north.

[wildherbalian85]

Originally Posted by mrs fish

Like the Opium Poppy fields.

Would these be medicinal or have they grown naturally ?

The farmer or farmers have ploughed the field and then just left it - probably for conservation purposes although for one of those strips at least i think the ground has been purposely ploughed for the conservation of henbane and other rare plants.

Then henbane by the way would have just been there as it is an arable weed and so long as the ground is disturbed and left clear of tall bushy plants it will pop up.. thats aslong as the seeds are there.

[wildherbalian85]

Originally Posted by jhewitt15

As I commented before. There is a patch of deadly nightshade next to Crag Road in Silverdale for those interested who live in the north.

Definitely nice to here belladonna growing up north - as for henbane in cumbria...... likely to be very rare.