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Solanaceae FAMILY

Mandragora officinarum

Mandragora officinarum

Edibility
1/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

All parts of the plant, but especially the roots, contain a range of alkaloids and are poisonous[1, 2]. Only slightly so according to one report[3], which is probably referring to the aerial parts since the roots can be highly toxic[4].

Cultivation Details

HabitPerennial
Growth—

Mandragora officinarum is native to the Mediterranean region, where it experiences hot dry summers (when it dies back to the roots and becomes dormant) and moist, mild winters (when it actively grows). Plants can survive temperatures falling to about -15°c for short periods, so long as the plant is grown in well-drained soils[5]. The plant comes into growth in mid to late winter when grown in temperate areas, flowering in early spring and dying down before summer begins[PFAF]. Prefers a deep humus-rich light soil and a sheltered position in full sun[6]. It also tolerates some shade[7]. Prefers a circumneutral soil[7] and dislikes chalk or gravel[8]. Plants are liable to rot in wet or ill-draining soils[8]. The roots are somewhat carrot-shaped and can be up to 1.2 metres long[8]. Plants are intolerant of root disturbance and should be put out into their permanent positions as soon as possible[9]. The root often divides into two and is vaguely suggestive of the human body. In the past it was frequently made into amulets which were believed to bring good fortune, cure sterility etc[10]. There is a superstition that if a person pulls up this root they will be condemned to hell[10]. Therefore in the past people have tied the roots to the bodies of animals and then used these animals in order to pull the roots out of the soil.

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a cold frame in the autumn[9]. The seed can also be sown in spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Root cuttings in winter[7]. Division. This can be rather difficult since the plants resent root disturbance. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Mandragora+officinarum>

Pollinators

Insects

References

  1. [1]Poisonous Plants. — Stary. F. · Hamlyn · 1983 · ISBN 0-600-35666-3 ↩︎Not very comprehensive, but easy reading.
  2. [2]The Herb Book. — Lust. J. · Bantam books · 1983 · ISBN 0-553-23827-2 ↩︎Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.
  3. [3]Flowers of the Mediterranean. — Polunin. O. and Huxley. A. · Hogarth Press · 1987 · ISBN 0-7012-0784-1 ↩︎A very readable pocket flora that is well illustrated. Gives some information on plant uses.
  4. [4]A revision of the genus Mandragora (Solanaceae) — Ungricht S.; Knapp S; Press J.R. · 1998 · ISBN 0968-0446 ↩︎A detailed study of the genus, including information on the historical and modern medicinal uses
  5. [5]Perennials. Volumes 1 and 2. — Phillips. R. & Rix. M. · Pan Books · 1991 · ISBN 0-330-30936-9 ↩︎Photographs of over 3,000 species and cultivars of ornamental plants together with brief cultivation notes, details of habitat etc.
  6. [6]Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. — Bown. D. · Dorling Kindersley, London. · 1995 · ISBN 0-7513-020-31 ↩︎A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
  7. [7]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  8. [8]A Modern Herbal. — Grieve. · Penguin · 1984 · ISBN 0-14-046-440-9 ↩︎Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.
  9. [9]The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers — Brickell. C. · Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. · 1990 · ISBN 0-86318-386-7 ↩︎Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.
  10. [10]Herbs — Phillips. R. & Foy. N. · Pan Books Ltd. London. · 1990 · ISBN 0-330-30725-8 ↩︎Deals with all types of herbs including medicinal, culinary, scented and dye plants. Excellent photographs with quite good information on each plant.
  11. [11]Dictionary of Economic Plants. — Uphof. J. C. Th. · Weinheim · 1959 · ISBN - ↩︎An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
  12. [12]Narcotic Plants — Emboden. W. · Studio Vista · 1979 · ISBN 0-289-70864-8 ↩︎A lot of details about the history, chemistry and use of narcotic plants, including hallucinogens, stimulants, inebriants and hypnotics.
  13. [13]CosIng — http://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/ ↩︎CosIng is the European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients.
  14. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎