black horehound
herb
Also known as: Ballota nigra
Quick Summary
Black horehound (Ballota nigra) is an ill-smelling, hairy perennial herb native to Europe, North Africa, and Central Asia. It belongs to the mint family, Lamiaceae. Unlike white horehound, it has a fetid odor, ovate rugose leaves, and whorls of dark purple flowers, lacking the woolly white appearance of its relative. Black horehound is sometimes used to adulterate extracts of white horehound and is considered an invasive species in parts of North America.12
Summary created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
2 Britannica Sources
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
