Herbarium of the Ancients — Detailed NotebookFR · EN
deadly nightshade
Atropa bella-donna
Read before use: the information below describes traditional and informational uses — it does not replace the advice of a healthcare professional. In case of doubt, pregnancy, breastfeeding, ongoing treatment, or use in children, seek advice before use.
Enhanced precautions for this plant: Extremely toxic plant, potentially fatal even in small doses: any part of the plant can cause severe poisoning. Strictly prohibited in pregnant or breastfeeding women, in children, and for self-medication in any form whatsoever. Never consume the berries, often mistaken for edible fruit, particularly dangerous for children. Any use can only be considered through a standardized pharmaceutical preparation, under strict medical supervision; no domestic use should be contemplated.
Regulated pharmaceutical preparation — Leaves and roots (historical use)
Standardized extracts for medical use only
Historically, apothecaries prepared tinctures and extracts whose alkaloid titration required precise expertise. Today, these preparations fall exclusively within the pharmaceutical and medical domain, never domestic preparation. Dosage must be validated with a healthcare professional or recognized pharmacopoeia before use.
Where to find it
Obtaining the plant
Deadly nightshade grows spontaneously in open woodlands, waste ground, and calcareous edges of Europe; it must under no circumstances be harvested or used by non-expert individuals. Any derived galenic form falls exclusively within the regulated pharmaceutical supply chain.
Harvest season
When to harvest it
Historically harvested in summer during flowering or in autumn during fruiting, this harvest is today the exclusive province of authorized professionals, due to the mortal danger it represents.
← Back to plant profile