Hyoscyamus niger

Hyoscyamus niger is toxic to horses. The reported severity is severe. Also known as Black Henbane.

horses

Mild Moderate Severe Critical

If your animal ate this plant, call your veterinarian now, or one of these services.

What do I do right now?
  • Australia
    Animal Poisons Helpline 1300 869 738 24 hours, every day · From $75
  • Austria
    Vergiftungsinformationszentrale 01 406 43 43 24 hours, every day
  • Belgium
    Centre Antipoisons 070 245 245 08:00 to 22:00 on weekdays, 10:00 to 22:00 at weekends · Human calls come first. The centre has no funding for animal work.
  • Canada
    Pet Poison Helpline (855) 764-7661 24 hours, every day · $89 for each incident
  • France
    Centre National d'Informations Toxicologiques Vétérinaires 04 78 87 10 40 08:30 to midnight, every day
  • Germany
    Giftinformationszentrum Bonn 0228 19240 24 hours, every day · Germany has no dedicated animal service. Human calls come first, so an animal call can wait.
  • Ireland

    Ireland has no animal poison service for owners. Call your veterinarian. An Irish veterinarian can consult the Veterinary Poisons Information Service in the United Kingdom.

  • Italy
    Centro Antiveleni di Milano 02 6610 1029 24 hours, every day
  • Netherlands
    Nationaal Vergiftigingen Informatie Centrum 088 755 8000 Veterinarians only 24 hours, every day · Call your veterinarian. Your veterinarian calls this line.
  • New Zealand
    Animal Poisons Helpline 0800 869 738 24 hours, every day
  • Sweden

    Giftinformationscentralen stopped answering questions about animals on 1 July 2018. Call your veterinarian or an animal hospital.

  • Switzerland
    Tox Info Suisse 145 24 hours, every day · From outside Switzerland, call +41 44 251 51 51.
  • United Kingdom
    Animal PoisonLine 01202 509 000 24 hours, every day · £35 from 08:00 to 20:00 Monday to Friday, £45 at other times
    Veterinary Poisons Information Service 020 7305 5055 Veterinarians only 24 hours, every day · A members only service. Your veterinarian calls this line.
  • United States
    ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (888) 426-4435 24 hours, every day · A consultation fee applies
    Pet Poison Helpline (855) 764-7661 24 hours, every day · $89 for each incident

Symptoms to watch for

Drooling Bloat Colic Diarrhea Dilated Pupils Seizures High Heart Rate Weakness

The color of each symptom follows the severity scale above.

About

Henbane is a poisonous plant belonging to tribe Hyoscyameae of the nightshade family Solanaceae. Henbane is native to temperate Europe and Siberia, and naturalised in Great Britain and Ireland.

How this plant poisons

Henbane leaves and herbage without roots are chopped and dried and are then used for medicinal purposes or in incense and smoking blends, in making beer and tea, and in seasoning wine. Henbane leaves are boiled in oil to derive henbane oil. Henbane seeds are an ingredient in incense blends. In all preparations, the dosage has to be carefully estimated as henbane is highly toxic. For some therapeutic applications, dosages like 0.5 g and 1.5–3 g were used. The lethal dosage is not known. Henbane is toxic to cattle, wild animals, fish, and birds. Not all animals are susceptible; for example, the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, including cabbage moths, eat henbane. Pigs are immune to henbane toxicity and are reported to enjoy the effects of the plant.

Common Names

  • Black Henbane

Also recorded as Common Henbane, Henbane, Hog's-bean and Stinking Nightshade.

Facts

Family
Solanaceae
Duration
Annual, Biennial
Growth habit
Forb/herb
Native to
Flanders, Belgium, Flemish Region, Walloon Region, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Portugal Continental
In the wild
GB, SE, RU, FR, DE, ES + more
Source
Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Countries with the most wild observations, from GBIF data.