Scopolia japonica is a highly poisonous spring wildflower of the nightshade family from Japan and Korea. In April and May it hangs dark purple, bell-shaped flowers beneath its new leaves. It does not grow wild in the United States, and it is sometimes called Japanese belladonna or Korean scopolia.
Appearance
- Growth form
- A hairless perennial, 1–2 ft (30–60 cm) tall, with thick underground stems. In Japan the leafy shoots die back by July, so the plant vanishes until the next spring.
- Flowers
- Nodding, bell-shaped, dark purplish-red flowers, yellowish inside, open as the young leaves unfold.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Moist, shady woods
- Mountain stream valleys
- Range
- Native to Japan (Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu) and the mountains of central and northern Korea. It does not grow wild in the United States.
Cautions
- Cautions
- All parts are poisonous, especially the roots, which contain atropine, scopolamine, and related compounds. Poisoning causes confusion, hallucinations, and dilated pupils, and large amounts can be fatal.
Culture and stories
- Culture and stories
- In Japan its dried roots came into medical use as a substitute for belladonna after the physician Siebold noticed their value in the 1800s.
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