Belladonna
Atropa bella-donna
- Native to:
- Albania, Algeria, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Corse, Czechia-Slovakia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Krym, Lebanon-Syria, Morocco, Netherlands, North Caucasus, NW. Balkan Pen., Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sardegna, Sicilia, Spain, Switzerland, Transcaucasus, Türkiye, Türkiye-in-Europe, Ukraine
Rüdiger Kratz (de.wikipedia.org) , St. Ingbert
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Solanaceae
- Genus:
- Atropa
- Species:
- Atropa bella-donna
- USDA Symbol:
- ATBE
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb , Subshrub
- Height:
- 150 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Part Shade
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- jun,jul,aug,sep
- Bloom Colors:
- purple, violet, brown
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Caterpillars:
- ★★☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea), Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), Five-spotted hawk moth (Manduca quinquemaculatus), Isabella tiger moth (Pyrrharctia isabella), Old Man Dart (Agrotis vetusta), Smith's Dart (Xestia smithii), stalk borer moth (Papaipema nebris), tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- prefers calcareous soils in native range
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days
- Germination Time:
- 14–30 days
- Notes:
- Seeds require light for germination. Germination can be erratic and slow even with proper stratification.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI