Siberian motherwort
Answered by: Conrad Richter
Question from: Coby
Posted on: September 28, 2009

What’s the difference between Siberian motherwort and regular motherwort and lions tail? Which one would be more potent to smoke?

By your question I assume you are referring to the use of some herbs for their psychoactive properties. Certainly, lion’s tail (Leonotis leonurus) has those properties. In southern Africa ‘wild dagga’ is traditionally smoked by the Hottentot tribemen like marijuana to produce an euphoriant effect. However, the motherworts -- both the Siberian and European varieties -- do not have any psychoactive effect that I know of. The motherworts do share with lion’s tail a part of their botanical name which may explain why some people confuse the plants. The motherworts belong to the genus "Leonurus" while lion’s tail belongs to a different genus but has the species name "leonurus". Lion’s tail and the motherworts are alike in another way: they are both members of the mint family, one of the most important plants families in the herb world.

Back to Growing Herbs | Q & A Index

Copyright © 1997-2024 Otto Richter and Sons Limited. All rights reserved.