Henbane (Hyosycamus niger) An unusual biennial plant of the Nightshade family that is covered with soft, sticky hairs and attractive buff yellow flowers that exude an odd smell. It has thick cylindrical roots often used in traditional herbal culture. Stems are rigid and 1” thick. Plants can reach up to 5 ft in height but average 3-4’ . Leaves are soft and dull; the upper side dark green; the underside lighter, greyish, fluffy-haired, especially along veins and leaf margin. Basal leaves long-stemmed and stalk
leaves are sessile, half-enclosing the stalk, leaf edges are shallowly lobed and veins
are conspicuous. Flowers sessile, massed in zigzagged arrangement on inflorescence at the stalk end. Bracts sessile, mostly oblong or narrowly-lanceolate, with few teeth or entire. Calyx 10-22 mm in length, cup-shaped, with 5 pointed tips. Flower of 5 petals, is up to 4.5 cm in length, funnel-shaped, pale yellow with netted purple veins and purple-violet in the throat. Fruit is a capsule with a prominent cover.
Prefers full sun and well drained soils.
75 seeds per package $4.45
BC customers cannot purchase this species as it is listed under invasive plants of the BC government.
CAUTION: Plant contains several alkaloids, and it has caused rare poisoning in humans, cattle, poultry, and swine.
