Stem

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

Black henbane plant

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

Black henbane rosette

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

Black henbane flower

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 Clark, Elko, Eureka, Lincoln, Nye 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

Black henbane seed head

Control

Mowing, tillage, digging and hand-pulling prior to seed production are effective; burning dry, mature plants can kill seed
Apply 2,4-D or dicamba post emergence; chlorsulfuron, metasulfuron or picloram pre- or post emergence

Blecker, L., Creech, E., Dick, J., Gephart, S., Hefner, M., Kratsch, H., Moe, A., Schultz, B. 2020, Nevada Noxious Weed Field Guide – Black henbane, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno, Field Guide

Extension Associated Contacts

Heidi Kratsch

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Associated Programs

Water for the Seasons

Water for the Seasons (WftS) is a program that partners scientists with community water managers and water right holders in the Truckee-Carson River System (TCRS), to explore new strategies and solutions for dealing with extreme climate events such as droughts and floods.

Nevada Noxious Weed Field Guide – Black henbane