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Growing Atropa Belladonna from seed

daftpunk
16 years ago

I bought some Atropa Belladonna (deadly nightshade) seeds to try and grow for the beauty of the flowers (and no i don't have any kids or friends that might find curiosity in trying to eat any of it.), anyway, I tried once to grow some seeds and after a few months I pretty much determined failure at that attempt as nothing grew. So I'm doing a second attept with a standard potting soil with some calcisand from my terrarium (my reasoning for this is that I read in England it generally grows in high calcium soils, or limestones, etc.). Does anyone have any tips on growing this or the best way to start from seed? I'm new to propagating from seeds and i'm having a 50% success/failure ratio on them.

Comments (26)

  • georgez5il
    16 years ago

    No pretreatment required. Lightly cover the seed soil temp 50F taking 21-30 days to germinate.

  • daftpunk
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    also should i water it daily or how often?

  • daftpunk
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Could I keep it outside during the day and then bring it it at night? Would that be good? Since the ambient temp is between 45 and 55 right now?

  • georgez5il
    16 years ago

    Keep soil damp not wet & yes bringing it in in the evening is OK

  • daftpunk
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Right now I have it by the window and it's cool to the touch. I'll see how this works.

  • cactus_lord
    16 years ago

    My first belladonna plant died from over-fertilising (whoops!!), but the one growing now is doing OK. I wouldn't place any bets, but I think it would help to keep it indoors until it get truely established and then introduce it outside, slowly.

  • moringdew
    10 years ago

    H i I am a first time grower, I started germanation on 4-1-13, I keep soil moist I live in California and im not sure if temp is correct? should I pit in cold garage or inside,outside? Any input will help. thanks.

  • moringdew
    10 years ago

    H i I am a first time grower, I started germanation on 4-1-13, I keep soil moist I live in California and im not sure if temp is correct? should I pit in cold garage or inside,outside? Any input will help. thanks.

  • JustinThomasV
    9 years ago

    Hello friend. I was searching Google and came across your post so I joined the forum so I could hopefully be of some help.

    Ok first off it is not likely that you will get over 75% success rate on atropa belladonna but I have had success growing them so here's what I did.
    First off you should get yourself a small bottle like an empty Tylenol bottle and put your seeds in it with some cold tap water.
    Stick them in the refrigerator and every day for at least 2weeks poor out the water and replace it with more tap water.

    After 2weeks put some run of the mill soil into an empty egg carton and and put your seeds on top of the soil. Then lightly cover the seeds with more soil and moisten the seeds and soil with water in a spray bottle.
    Put them in a sunny window and keep the soil damp but not soaked and in about 2 weeks you should have more than 60% success rate on your germination. When the plants get established you can replant them either outside near your house close to the foundation. Or you can plant them in large pots but they will be smaller if grown in pots.

    Hopefully this helps as I have had good success with this exact method.

  • JustinThomasV
    9 years ago

    Oh and if you need a reliable source for belladonna seeds. I bought mine from Horizon Herbs. I've had good success with their seeds.

  • Matt Conner
    8 years ago

    I've been surfing around on the internet trying to see if anyone has had success of growing Belladonna in zone 5 as a perennial? Got some seeds in today. Does this plant drop seeds?

  • brjordan039
    8 years ago

    I have belladonna seeds but haven't planted them yet. I have outside cats but we also have wisteria outside and they never bother with it. I was told wisteria is also deadly. Any thoughts on planting the belladonna seeds? I've had people tell me I have several poisonous plants in my garden but my cats have never bothered with them.

  • morz8 - Washington Coast
    8 years ago

    I suppose you'd have to decide your own risk level, estimate how curious your pets might be. Seed pods and seeds of wisteria can be toxic to cats. All parts of belladonna are highly toxic, berries, leaves, roots.

    There are several commonly grown garden plants that could sicken pets if they had an interest in eating them, typically pets aren't interested. But - Belladonna is one of the most toxic plants to be found our hemisphere. Add to that its somewhat weedy in appearance so has little garden value.

  • david_kubasiak
    7 years ago

    I have to very large pots outside with belladonna coming up all over. Never had any luck growing them inside. Tried. Best for me was to take potting soil and sand and mix about half and half. Take a very large outside pot. And just sow the seed in the winter. Snow doesn't hurt them. I threw a very little sand over them. And left them for spring. Keep track on them well into spring. But nothing came up. Until the temperature went up into the seventies. Even 80s. And the nights warmed up. Now I've got plants shooting up all over. And growing like mad. The pots stay outside no matter what the weather. And they love it. Hot and dry is best. I only water every 3 or 4 days if it hasn't rained. Most things I've read say they like the shade but mine love lots of hot sun. Well, whatever works. Good luck.

  • casper_is_asgard
    7 years ago

    You guys seen Dave's garden.. In his pic I think I look like him.. U think that's a 4in. berry. Bad as he'll n I said "uh huh, uh huh uh huh huh huh, the Dragon and uh huh uh huh huh huh huh huh, the battery acid.. I think they just berries fellas. Not poisonous. I got 51 of them. The ph up alkaline is battery acid.. Fermented berries n electric charge of Culoumbs, that's energy cells.possibly alcohol.. But the Demetrius of pollen.. Like gold dust.. The cocoa plant. chocolate. an Apple tree got smothered with psilocybin mushrooms. Off topic but ,just berries fellas. I had 85 n lost that many. Trying to make the plant " the devils claw by cloning just the flower head. How old do you think this plant is and plants that derived from it?

  • casper_is_asgard
    7 years ago

    I'm working on an Apple tree with mad flowers of Atropa Belladonna, medusa. Sicilian three legged winged medusa. I bet even the olive tree derives from the belladonna. Genealogy.

  • casper_is_asgard
    7 years ago

    U seen the skirts on net flix. Looks like dog wood flower that turned into the Apple.pollen makes me laugh. Marigolds (ma= but; ri=kings; gold.lol

  • casper_is_asgard
    7 years ago

    Mom bought the acai berry Bush n me blowing pollen out the window I think my berry chewed it up. N I had to revive it. Now I believe it's growing into the acai palm tree.acai berry tasted like snake Berry. Only difference is snake berry is sweet leaving with the same bitter taste. Snake in road I believe grew berries fellas in an 8th of the time I got 20 berries at most off the acai.. 4 to 5 big bushes.

    https://flandrumhill.wordpress.com/2011/09/17/snake-berries/

    Snake really appears in road. says snake is guarding of realms.



  • casper_is_asgard
    7 years ago

    U all see the poppy plants over seas, the bible talks about giants.don't exactly say how tall they r if mercury to Pluto is one DNA strain.. nose hairs of the giant fellas pop up naturally n I said can't u c the plant is sick. Looks like snots..Lol

  • casper_is_asgard
    7 years ago

    This one hopped off the holder n I only got 10 Venus fly traps out of 500.. See it's pistol, the flower was licking the fly trap. " Wut r u doin in here"?


  • casper_is_asgard
    7 years ago

    Think the devils claw. purple flower whitening.

  • Campanula UK Z8
    7 years ago

    Have you been sampling your supplies Caspar? Maybe leave off the psilocybes (and stay far away from datura) and stick with good old cannabis?

  • bordengirls
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Ok. I'm a lil late to the game. I bought my atropa belladonna seeds from Horizon Herbs. The owner said to cold treat them by putting them in a pill container with cold water, in the fridge for two weeks, changing the water daily. Then to put them in seeding soil to germinate..... Ive done the cold treatment, finished it today and have placed my seeds in a 3 inch terracotta pot with seeding soil beneath it and lightly covering the seeds. The soil is moist but not wet and sitting in a window on the sunny side of the house. It's about 40F during the day and 19F at night. Is there anything else I should do with it to ensure it's survival? I have tried many times in the past to get it to grow but never have I tried the cold treatment before.. I bought limestone powder for it once it's somewhat growing.

    I've got monkshood seeds to work on next but they won't be done with their cold treatment until April. I have gotten that plant to bloom though. but i really would love to have the nightshade.

  • Rouben Burke
    6 years ago


    I think my plant is kind of acting weird, it wouldn't grow as fast as it used to before i changed the pot. The leaves seem to fall down tho they firm and kinda normal when touching them. Any advice? Please :) should i buy a growing lamp ? What temperature is it supposed to get exposed to?

  • Sonoda Umi
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    I'd like to share some experience. First of all, soak the seeds using gibberellin (GA) solution 100~200 ppm for 4 h. Then, Put it in fresh water and then put it in the refrigerator (0-3 ℃) for 14 days, don't froget change water everyday. After it, put seed in a small pot and cover by 5 mm soil which particular for germination. Manage in a warm place (25-30 degree) and spray with water until germination. It usually need over 45 days. After germination, give it al little fertilizer. When the seedling has five or more leaves, change the larger pot with a support. An enough growing light is REQUIRED after germination(turn on at 8 am and turn off at 8 pm).Using liquid fertilizer once per week and wait for growing. If you want berry, pollination is necessary.