Deadly nightshade
Atropa belladonnaSolanaceae // berries · leaves · roots
Also known as: belladonna, deadly nightshade
Preparation
Overview
Plant parts
berries, leaves, roots
Known constituents
atropine, scopolamine, hyoscyamine
Research corpus coverage
Chemistry notes
- Principal reported constituents include atropine, scopolamine, hyoscyamine; broad class: antimuscarinic tropane alkaloids.
Uses & Evidence
Traditional / historical use
Documented traditional use — not a claim of established efficacy.
No traditional-use records in this corpus.
Modern evidence
Confused with edible berries and other Solanaceae; folklore often exceeds historical documentation.
MODERATE · Atropa Belladonna intoxication: a case report
Identity/attribution caution.
Safety
Human
- Critical
Safety severity is CRITICAL: anticholinergic delirium, seizures, arrhythmia, coma and death
Intrinsic toxicity · HIGH · Atropa Belladonna intoxication: a case report
Cats
- Contraindicated
Belladonna (Atropa belladonna) is toxic to cats, with severe toxicity reported. All plant parts contain tropane alkaloids, including scopolamine, which have anticholinergic effects.
Intrinsic toxicity · OTHER · Whole plant; all parts · HIGH · poison_control_database · Belladonna Is Toxic To Dogs | Pet Poison Helpline®
Dogs
- Contraindicated
Belladonna (Atropa belladonna) is toxic to dogs, with severe toxicity reported. All plant parts contain tropane alkaloids, including scopolamine, which have anticholinergic effects.
Intrinsic toxicity · OTHER · Whole plant; all parts · HIGH · poison_control_database · Belladonna Is Toxic To Dogs | Pet Poison Helpline®
Additional safety notes (general, unstructured)
Free-text safety notes carried from their source — not broken out by species, route, or hazard type, and not equivalent to the structured records above. Each note names the kind of source it came from.
Safety severity is CRITICAL: anticholinergic delirium, seizures, arrhythmia, coma and death
HIGH · Atropa Belladonna intoxication: a case report
Belladonna (Atropa belladonna) is toxic to cats, with severe toxicity reported. All plant parts contain tropane alkaloids, including scopolamine, which have anticholinergic effects.
HIGH · poison_control_database · Belladonna Is Toxic To Dogs | Pet Poison Helpline®
The page does not specify an exposure route, dose, or preparation-specific toxicity.
Belladonna (Atropa belladonna) is toxic to dogs, with severe toxicity reported. All plant parts contain tropane alkaloids, including scopolamine, which have anticholinergic effects.
HIGH · poison_control_database · Belladonna Is Toxic To Dogs | Pet Poison Helpline®
The page does not specify an exposure route, dose, or preparation-specific toxicity.
Preparation × species risk matrix
Unknown means insufficient evidence was located — not that a form is safe.
Cats
- whole herbContraindicated
- tinctureCaution
- concentrated extractUnknown
- essential oilUnknown
- glyceriteUnknown
- infused oilUnknown
- salveUnknown
- smoke/combustionUnknown
- tea/infusionUnknown
Dogs
- whole herbContraindicated
- tinctureCaution
- concentrated extractUnknown
- essential oilUnknown
- glyceriteUnknown
- infused oilUnknown
- salveUnknown
- smoke/combustionUnknown
- tea/infusionUnknown
Identity
- Synonym
GBIF lists Atropa acuminata Royle as a taxonomic synonym of Atropa belladonna.
HIGH · GBIF Species Synonyms API
Common name
belladonna, deadly nightshade
Traditions
European medical and folk-magical traditions
Europe // classical/early modern medical use; later folkloric elaboration // historical evidence and folklore
Ethnobotanical
Deadly nightshade is documented in European medical and folk-magical traditions in Europe for medicine, poison and magical symbolism.
HIGH · Atropa Belladonna intoxication: a case report
Ritual
Documented functions include healing, protective, symbolic; these functions are tradition-specific and should not be generalized across cultures.
HIGH · Atropa Belladonna intoxication: a case report
Legal
Legal status changes over time and by jurisdiction — this is a dated snapshot, not current law.
International · Checked 2026-08-09
Varies substantially by country; constituent controls and plant-specific controls are not uniform.
State / municipal · Checked 2026-08-09
Material state and municipal variation may apply; verify jurisdiction at time of use.
US Federal · Checked 2026-08-09
Not federally scheduled as a plant; regulated medicinal alkaloids and poisoning laws apply.
Sources
Research records are source-linked but may not yet be editorially reviewed.
peer-reviewed article
poison_control_database
government/regulatory source
- GBIF Species Synonyms API1 claim
authoritative taxonomic database