• Black Henbane Plant 215x150

Category A Weed

Nightshade family (Solanaceae)

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Black henbane (Hyoscyamus niger)

    Stem

    • Up to 3 ft. tall, branched and covered with long, sticky hairs

      Leaves

      • Alternate, lance-shaped to oblong, 2-8 in. long and covered with short, sticky hairs; veins are prominent and pale; edges (margins) are lobed to toothed; lower leaves have a short stem (petiole), upper leaves have NO leaf stem

        Flower

        • Funnel-shaped with a purple center; 5 fused, greenish-yellow petals with purple veins; arise from leaf axils along upper part of stem

        • Seed pods are pineapple-shaped, 1 in. long and covered with long, sticky hairs; open end has 5 lobes; contain many small, dark seeds

          Root

          • Thick, fleshy taproot

            Other

            • Grows best on open sites with well-drained soils; often infests roadsides, waste areas, field borders and pastures; known to occur in Elko, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Lincoln, Lyon and White Pine counties

            • Annual or biennial; reproduces by seed

            • Toxic to humans and livestock but rarely consumed by animals due to foul odor and taste

              Control

              • Mowing, tillage, digging and hand-pulling prior to seed production are effective

              • Burning dry, mature plants can kill seed

              • Apply picloram or metsulfuron to actively growing plants prior to bloom