An annual or biennial herb, henbane can reach heights of 1 m (3 feet). It features bell-shaped leaves with delicate, slightly lobed edges and pale yellow flowers with subtle purple veining.
History & Folklore
Thousands of years have passed since henbane was first utilized as a medicine. Henbane was smoked so that the travelers would be decked out in henbane when they reached Hades, according to Babylonian tales and the Egyptian Ebers papyrus (c. 1500 BCE). Dioscorides, a physician who lived in the first century CE, advised using henbane within a year because it swiftly degraded. He recommended it for sleeplessness, coughs and catarrh, heavy menstrual bleeding, eye pain, gout, and general pain relief. Henbane was known as Dentaria in Latin throughout the Middle Ages, which indicated that it was used as a toothache treatment. Henbane was one of the main ingredients in witches' "flying ointments" because it is said to give the user a feeling of lightness as if they are flying.
Habitat & Cultivation
Henbane is currently widespread throughout much of Western and Central Europe and North and South America. It is originally from Western Asia and Southern Europe. It is grown for therapeutic purposes in some regions of Europe, including England and North America. In the first year for the annual variety and the second year for the biennial, the leaves and flowers are harvested right after the plant has flowered.
References
- Chevallier, Andrew, FNIMH; Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine - 550 Herbs and Remedies for Common Ailments; 3. Edition 2016; ISBN: 978-0-2412-2944-6; Page 221-222.
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