Steppe rue

Seeds: 100  / Botanical name: Peganum harmala

Deeply rooted ritual steppe plant and dye for carpets and wool

The roots of this perennial herbaceous plant reach deep into the ground, creeping up to 6 meters. It grows in a shrub-like form and has relatively large flowers with white, five-petaled flowers. All parts of the plant contain harman alkaloids. These are reversible MAOIs that can have antidepressant, narcotic, hallucinogenic, aphrodisiac, or abortifacient effects. They are also used to enhance or modify the effects of psychoactive drugs. Combined with other plant species, it is used for shamanic and non-medicinal healing purposes. However, the effects of combining it with other drugs are unpredictable and can be dangerous. The seeds are usually consumed orally; alternative methods of consumption such as smoking, burning as incense, or vaporizing are less common. In the Middle East and West Asia, the plant is also used for fragrance and as a dye for carpets and wool.

Natural habitat: Widely distributed from southern, western and eastern Europe to North Africa, the Middle East and western and southern Asia, it feels most at home in deserts and steppes.