Potter Potion Picks

Potter Potion Picks

In the Harry Potter series of books and movies, J.K. Rowling makes many references to plants with magical powers used in a potion or mixed in a witch’s brew. Even though some are factitious there are some that are real and very powerful. They carry with them interesting folklore stories that have prevailed throughout the ages.

Aconite (Aconitum lycotonum) known as Monkshood and wolfbane.

All parts are poisonous with the tuber being the most potent. A cousin of the garden monkshoods (A. nepellus), this tall perennial with helmet-shaped flowers was believed to repel werewolves and was also used as an arrow-tip poison. It can paralyze the nerve centers and be used as a sedative and pain killer. Today, it is used externally for nerve related pains such as rheumatism, sciatica and neuralgia.

Belladonna (Atropa belladonna) known as deadly nightshade.

This highly toxic perennial produces black shiny berries in the fall. All parts are poisonous. The roots and leaves produce a narcotic and sedative effect.
One of the effects of nightshade extract is that it dilates the pupils. In Medieval times, Italian women used nightshade extract thinking that it made them look seductive until they died from nightshade poisoning. It was also believed that this was the devil’s plant (Devil’s cherry) to help witches fly.
Today, it is used as an antispasmodic and in surgical eye examinations.

Bittersweet (Solanum dulcamara)

This toxic woody vine has twigs that taste bitter, then sweet and produces red berries that are poisonous. It was believed to ward off evil and cure dizziness when worn. Today, it is used in pharmaceuticals.

Mandrake (Mandragora officinarum)

A highly poisonous plant has a parsniplike root which bears bell shaped flowers cupped in rosette clumped leaves. Referred to as Satan’s apple, there are many tales about this plant. The intriguing part of the plant is the fleshy branching taproot that at times was to resemble a human form. It was believed that when pulled out from the ground the root would give off a shriek that would drive a human to madness or death. To prevent this, people trained their dogs to dig up the plant. The dogs died not from the shriek but from the poison on the plant. It was also to have special powers as an aphrodisiac. Mandrake was a witches hexing herb and gave the illusion that they could fly because of its hallucinogenic properties.
It is one of the oldest narcotic roots, used as a sedative and treatment for asthma and coughs

Wormwood (Absinthe absinthium)

A pungent, bitter perennial used to flavor vermouth and the addictive drink absinthe. (now banned in most countries). A tonic of the leaves and flowers was used for the digestive system, gallbladder, reducing inflammation and clearing impurities. It was also used to treat fever, insect repellent and as a worming medicine effective against roundworm and threadworm
It was believed that snakes cannot enter where wormwood grows.