Identity & origin
BOTANICAL IDENTITY
The right name is the first step.
Perennial in the Lamiaceae family. Recorded native range: Macaronesia and Europe to the Mediterranean and Iran. The listed pharmacopoeial material is flowering tops.
Also known as: No synonyms listed.
Check the species, plant part and complete botanical name together. A photograph alone cannot identify a harvest safely for consumption.
An illustration is not enough to identify a plant for consumption. Do not forage for a species based solely on this profile.
Uses & evidence
UNDERSTANDING THE USES
Properties & uses.
Pharmacopoeial material: flowering tops
Ballota nigra, also named B. foetida in the inventory, differs from Marrubium vulgare. The common name black horehound does not make them equivalent. This notice infers no therapeutic indication.
The references do not establish a benefit. Lack of evidence is not assurance of safety.
Read the sourceThe traditional uses described are not clinical proof of effectiveness. Evidence for one preparation cannot automatically be applied to another.
Precautions before use
BEFORE ANY USE
Precautions & contraindications.
This guidance does not cover every individual situation. Missing information is not a guarantee of safety.
The following warnings do not constitute a complete review of interactions or contraindications. An unstudied combination cannot be considered compatible.
Contraindications & precautions
- This botanical dossier does not establish medicinal-use safety. Anyone with a medical condition or taking medicine needs professional assessment of the specific product.
Medicine interactions
- Interactions are not assessed here; compatibility with medicines cannot be inferred.
“Reported” does not prove causality; “possible” may reflect indirect evidence. “None reported” means none in the cited source, not that all combinations have been studied. Do not stop a prescribed treatment based on this profile.
Adverse effects
- Adverse effects are insufficiently documented in this notice; an incomplete assessment does not mean no risk.
Pregnancy & breastfeeding
No medicinal use is offered during pregnancy or breastfeeding; this dossier cannot establish safety in these situations.
Children & adolescents
No paediatric preparation or dose is offered in this notice.
If symptoms persist, worsen or are unusual, consult a healthcare professional. In an emergency, contact the emergency services.
Sources & last review
CHECKING REFERENCES
Sources for this profile.
- ANSM — French Pharmacopoeia, List A, January 2026, p. 6Accessed on 09/10/2026
- Kew POWO — Ballota nigra L.Accessed on 09/10/2026
Image: Marco Zaccaria Di Fraia · CC BY 4.0. View the original image and its licence. Image resized and converted to WebP.