A low growing perennial, 15 cm (6 in) in height, it has a basal rosette of broad, oval, veined and rough-textured leaves, with wavy margins, which start erect and spread flat as they grow. Clusters of bell-shaped, greenish white flowers flushed with purple, arise from the base and are followed by large, spherical green fruit ripening to yellow.
History and traditions
Mandrake has attracted more stories and superstitions than almost any other herb perhaps because of its hallucinogenic properties, coupled with its strange appearance and forked roots, fancifully thought to resemble the human form. Closely related to Atropa belladonna and Hyoscyamus Niger (henbane), it contains the toxic alkaloids atropine and hyoscyamine and has been used since the ancient Greek and Roman period as a powerful sedative, when it was first found to deaden the pain of surgery. An early introduction to Britain, it features in many Anglo-Saxon medicinal texts and was mentioned by Turner in 1551 for its anesthetic properties. Just holding the fruit (mandrake apple) in the hand was said to be a cure for insomnia. At the end of the 19th century it became an official homeopathic preparation but is rarely used today and retains its place as a “herb” because of its historical interest.
Growth
Although hardy to -10°C (14° F), mandrake needs protection from prolonged cold and wet weather in winter. Grow it in a sheltered, sunny spot such as at the base of a wall, or in a rockery, in well-drained, reasonably fertile soil. It resents disturbance once properly established and is propagated by seed in autumn, root cutting in winter.
Uses
Medicinal
Formerly used as a sedative and painkiller.
