25/30 seeds
Cultivation: easy
Seed saving: beginner
Belladonna (Atropa belladonna)
Belladonna (Atropa belladonna): this lethal plant takes its name from Atropo, the Moira that in Greek mythology used to cut the thread of life, "she who cannot be dissuaded", to remind us of the certain death that will follow the ingestion of the black berries. Death is caused by the contained alkaloid, atropine. In the Renaissance it was used to increase mydriasis (dilation of the pupil), so that the eyes became more beautiful and shiny, hence the name belladonna (beautiful woman). Widely used in European ethnobotany, it is one of the ingredients of the “flying ointment”.
Easy to grow and native to the Italian territory, it has a vaguely decorative appearance, it must be cultivated by experienced people, possibly out of the reach of the curious: since the ingestion of the berries, which can be easily confused with blueberries, is lethal.
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