![]() ![]() This family contains some of humanity’s most beloved food crops, like tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants, as well as some of its most poisonous, like deadly nightshade, jimsonweed, belladonna, and henbane. The mandrake root is part of the Solanaceae family, commonly known as the nightshades. RELATED: Do Shrooms Show Up On A Drug Test? All In The Family ![]() Why does mandrake root continue to enthrall us in both fiction and reality, and what are safe ways to work with this evocative plant? While it is not commonly used medically now, interest has risen in the mandrake as a magical, poisonous, and potentially psychoactive plant. Documented use hails back to Antiquity, when it was used as a weapon, a surgical anesthetic, a fertility treatment, and an aphrodisiac. The storied mandrake root has deep roots in our collective imagination. ![]() And, a plant that most people know about from Harry Potter. A poisonous plant that supposedly utters a deathly scream when you pull it, draws a beloved to you, protects you from demonic influences, and can bring inner peace. Integrative Medicine mandrake mandrake root.Transplant them into the garden after two years.Mandrake Root: Healing, Harming, And Magical Properties Plant the seeds in containers where they can be protected from winter weather. Collect seeds from overripe berries in fall. Propagate mandrake from offsets or seeds, or by dividing the tubers. In containers, the plants remain small and never produce fruit. The front of perennial borders and rock or alpine gardens are the best places for mandrake in the garden. Never plant mandrake in areas where children play or in food gardens where it may be mistaken for an edible plant. During that time, keep the soil well watered and feed the plants annually with a shovelful of compost. It takes about two years for the plant to become established and set fruit. Mandrake needs full sun or partial shade. Growing mandrake in deep, rich soil is easy, however, the roots will rot in poorly drained or clay soil. Mandrake is hardy in USDA zones 6 through 8. It should only be used under professional supervision. Like many members of the Nightshade family, mandrake is poisonous. ![]() Several ancient spiritual texts mention the properties of mandrake and it is still used today in contemporary pagan traditions such as Wicca and Odinism. This resemblance and the fact that eating parts of the plant brings on hallucinations have resulted in a rich tradition in folklore and the occult. Mandrake roots can grow up to 4 feet (1 m.) long and sometimes bear a remarkable resemblance to a human figure. In spring, flowers bloom at the center of the plant. They grow up to 16 inches (41 cm.) long, but lie flat against the ground, so the plant only reaches a height of 2 to 6 inches (5-15 cm.). Wrinkled and crispy mandrake foliage might remind you of tobacco leaves. Keep reading for more mandrake information. Mandrake plants bloom in spring with lovely blue and white blossoms, and in late summer the plants produce attractive (but inedible) red-orange berries. Long absent from American ornamental gardens, mandrake ( Mandragora officinarum), also called Satan’s apple, is making a comeback, thanks in part to the Harry Potter books and movies. ![]()
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