henbane
Hyoscyamus niger
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.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyoscyamus_niger
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Order
Solanales
Family
Solanaceae
Genus
Hyoscyamus
henbane belongs to the family Solanaceae, order Solanales, within the Magnoliopsida class.
Species Profile
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.
Henbane (Hyoscyamus niger) faces significant population declines primarily due to habitat loss from agricultural intensification and urban development. The species is particularly vulnerable because it depends on disturbed soils and waste ground that are increasingly being converted to intensive agriculture or built development.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Threats
IUCN Red List: Endangered
Henbane (Hyoscyamus niger) faces significant population declines primarily due to habitat loss from agricultural intensification and urban development. The species is particularly vulnerable because it depends on disturbed soils and waste ground that are increasingly being converted to intensive agriculture or built development.
Agricultural intensification and herbicide use
Urban development and habitat fragmentation
Climate change affecting suitable habitat
Competition from invasive plant species
Loss of traditional farming practices
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). henbane (Hyoscyamus niger). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/henbane