Flower profile

Black henbane

Hyoscyamus niger

Black henbane (Hyoscyamus niger) is a flowering plant in the Solanaceae family, introduced in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly May–July across the U.S.

Not native to North Dakota

Black henbane is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states.

27states where USDA records it

75ND sightings*

1,094U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: North Dakota

Quick look

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.
From Wikipedia's article Hyoscyamus niger, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Solanaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual, biennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 27 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as not native to North Dakota. ^NatureServe
iNaturalist has 75 research-grade sightings of it in North Dakota, ranking #87 among the 116 flowers on our North Dakota list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (76 records)

There are only a handful of North Dakota flowering records, so this chart uses records from across the U.S.

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. ^NatureServe
North Dakota: No list North Dakota has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's North Dakota ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in North Dakota.
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peoplePoisonous to people

NC State Extension lists it as poisonous to humans (severity: high). Poisonous parts: bark, flowers, fruits, leaves, roots, sap/juice, seeds, stems. Symptoms they list: “Poison Delivery Mode: Ingestion Symptoms: Salivation, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, rapid pulse, convulsions, coma” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsCan be a problem for cats, children, dogs and horses

NC State Extension flags it as a problem for cats, children, dogs and horses. It isn't on the ASPCA plant list. ^{NC State Extension}

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records black henbane in 27 states.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

North Dakota counties with USDA records: Barnes, Billings, Golden Valley, Grant, Hettinger, LaMoure, Logan, McIntosh, McKenzie, McLean, Morton, Oliver, Stark, Towner.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Introduced; Lower 48 states: Introduced.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 182 counties across 21 states; the most are in Montana (41), Idaho (32), Wyoming (16).

More from the Solanaceae family (15 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Carolina horsenettle, Bittersweet nightshade, Silverleaf nightshade, Sacred datura, Tree tobacco, Jimsonweed, Buffalo-bur, Eastern black nightshade.

More North Dakota flowers

Bittersweet nightshade

Solanum dulcamara

Introduced

🌼 Few flowering records in ND

Buffalo-bur

Solanum rostratum

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in ND

Plains pricklypear

Opuntia polyacantha

Native

🌼 Blooms in ND: June–July

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile HYNI.
iNaturalist, Hyoscyamus niger: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Hyoscyamus niger (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
North Dakota: North Dakota state noxious weeds (N.D. Admin. Code 7-06-01-02), as listed by the ND Department of Agriculture.
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Hyoscyamus niger (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Wendy McCrady via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.