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

Also of Interest:


Managing Black Henbane This fact sheet contains information on ways to manage Black Henbane such as mechanical controls, cultural controls, biological controls, and many more. Graham, J. and Johnson, W. 2004, Extension \| University of Nevada, Reno, FS-04-10

Associated Programs

Master Gardeners of Nevada

Program trains local gardeners to provide research-based horticulture information to Nevadans

Master Gardeners of Washoe County

Master Gardeners provide free, research-based horticulture information to Nevadans.

Master Gardeners of Douglas County

Learn about the Master Gardener program in Douglas County, Nevada.

Nevada Noxious Weed Field Guide – Black henbane