Belladonna by Wanderer MoonChild

Botanical Basics

1. Common Name(s): Belladonna, Deadly Nightshade
2. Folk Name(s): Dwale, Sorcerer’s Berry, Witch’s Berry, Devil’s Cherries, Banewort
3. Scientific/Latin Name: Atropa belladonna
4. Family: Solanaceae (Nightshade family)
5. Plant Type: Perennial herbaceous plant
6. Botanical Description: Grows 2–5 ft tall with branching stems and ovate, dull green leaves. Bell-shaped, purple-brown flowers bloom singly or in pairs. Glossy black berries follow, about the size of cherries. All parts of the plant are highly toxic.
7. Growing Zones/Climate: USDA Zones 6–9
8. Best Zones for Growth: Thrives in shaded, temperate woodlands of Europe
9. Habitat & Range: Native to Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia; found in shaded forests, disturbed soils, and limestone-rich areas

Cultivation & Harvest

(⚠️ Warning: Belladonna is extremely poisonous; cultivation is not advised except by professionals for controlled purposes.)

1. Soil & Sun Requirements: Moist, well-drained soil rich in lime; partial shade preferred
2. Propagation: By seed (requires stratification) or root division
3. Companion Planting: Rarely grown with companions due to toxicity
4. Harvesting Guidelines: Historically, leaves and roots were harvested for medicine—but extreme caution is required; gloves must be used; accidental ingestion is deadly
5. Drying/Preservation: Traditionally dried under controlled conditions for pharmaceutical alkaloid extraction; not safe for home use

Traditional & Historical Use

1. Cultural Significance: In Italian Renaissance, women used belladonna drops to dilate pupils (“bella donna” = “beautiful lady”) as a beauty aid. Associated with witches, sorcery, and poisonings in folklore.
2. Traditional Medicine: Used historically in minuscule doses for muscle relaxation, pain, motion sickness, and as an anesthetic. Still used in controlled pharmaceutical alkaloid extraction (atropine, scopolamine).
3. Symbolism: Represents danger, shadow, the liminal boundary between life and death, and hidden power.

Medicinal & Practical Properties

1. Active Constituents: Tropane alkaloids (atropine, hyoscyamine, scopolamine)
2. Medicinal Uses:
   
3. Atropine used to dilate pupils in ophthalmology
4. Antispasmodic for intestinal cramping
5. Antidote for some poisonings (organophosphates)
6. Sedative, pain reliever (historically)
   
7. Preparation Methods: Only in pharmaceutical settings under strict control
8. Dosage & Guidelines: ⚠️ Not for self-use. Minuscule doses have medicinal action; slightly more is lethal.
9. Safety/Precautions: Highly toxic. All parts dangerous. Causes delirium, hallucinations, convulsions, paralysis, respiratory failure, and death. Never self-administer.
   

🌙 Magical & Spiritual Properties

1. Elemental Association: Saturn (earthy, dark, restrictive), also aligned with Water in its intoxicating/dream aspects
2. Planetary/Deity Correspondence: Saturn, Hecate, Circe, the Morrígan
3. Magical Correspondences: Baneful magic, spirit flight, shadow work, necromancy, trance induction
4. Ritual Use: Historically part of flying ointments and necromantic rites; used symbolically in modern practice rather than physically (due to toxicity)
5. Symbolism in Divination/Dreams: A warning of danger, deception, or illusion; can symbolize the thinning veil between worlds

Ecological & Culinary Uses

1. Pollinator Value: Flowers attract bees and insects, despite plant toxicity
2. Wildlife Uses: Berries are fatal to humans but some birds can eat them safely and disperse seeds
3. Culinary Uses: ⚠️ None. Absolutely unsafe for human food use

Household/Practical Uses

1. Quick Uses: None for household use due to toxicity
2. Notable Traits: Once widely feared and revered; a true “witch’s herb” of lore and poison
3. Special Notes: Modern practitioners often work with Belladonna symbolically (images, sigils, correspondences) rather than physically

Supporting Notes

1. Grieve, M. A Modern Herbal (1931)
2. Chevallier, Andrew. Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine (2016)
3. Rätsch, Christian. Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants (2005)
4. Mann, John. Murder, Magic, and Medicine (1992)
5. EMA Monograph: “Atropa belladonna L.” (pharmaceutical reference)

⚠️ Note for your grimoire: You might want to mark this page with a baneful herb warning (red ink, skull symbol, etc.), since Belladonna is one of the most toxic plants in European herbal tradition.