Peganum Harmala
Peganum harmala · Syrian rue · esfand
Syrian rue (Peganum harmala) is a desert perennial whose small brown seeds have been burned as incense for at least 2,700 years and used to dye wool. The same seeds hold about 4 percent harmine and 5 percent harmaline, alkaloids that block the enzyme MAO-A. That makes them a serious interaction risk with many medicines, drugs and some foods, and toxic when swallowed.
Choose a bag at Avalon Magic Plants From €6.95 · 25 to 1000 g · adults only
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A gram holds roughly 500 seeds: dark brown, angular and about 1.8 mm long (Li et al., 2023). They ripen in leathery capsules, 45 to 60 to a capsule. Sown on the surface in warmth they germinate within two weeks, and they are also the most toxic part of the plant. Read the growing guide.
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A bushy perennial of 30 to 70 cm with fleshy, finely divided leaves and white five-petalled flowers from spring into early autumn. It grows wild from Morocco and Spain to Central Asia and northern China. In the American West, where it was first recorded in 1920, it is a listed noxious weed. More on the plant and where it grows.
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Iron Age censers from Qurayyah in northwest Arabia carry harmal residue dated to about 2,700 years ago. In Iran and its neighbours the seeds are still dropped on glowing charcoal as esfand, against the evil eye. Elsewhere they coloured wool; the famous Turkey red came from madder root instead. Read the history of esfand smoke and harmal dye.
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Harmine and harmaline block MAO-A strongly: in one laboratory study, seed extract halved the enzyme's activity at 27 micrograms per litre. Together with antidepressants, several other medicines, stimulants or food rich in tyramine, that can cause serotonin syndrome or a dangerous rise in blood pressure. Poison centres have recorded deaths after people swallowed the seeds. Keep them away from children, pets and anyone on serotonergic medicine, and read risks and documented poisonings.
The product
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Peganum harmala L. (Nitrariaceae) |
| Other names | Syrian rue, wild rue, African rue, harmal, esfand |
| Seed size | about 1.8 mm, three-sided |
| Seeds per gram | about 500 |
| Germination in the lab | 94 % at 25/10 °C and 30/15 °C, with light |
| Main alkaloids | harmaline 5.6 %, harmine 4.3 % (one study) |
| Offered for | growing and collecting, not for consumption |
| Legal to buy | Netherlands, UK, Germany; not in France or Oregon |
Small to large
Avalon Magic Plants sells the seeds in five sizes. Every bag holds the same seed; the size only decides how far it goes. Seed counts below are estimates from the published seed weight.
| Bag | Roughly | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| 25 g | 12,500 seeds | a few garden plants and a first pinch of esfand |
| 100 g | 50,000 seeds | esfand through the year |
| 250 g | 125,000 seeds | first dye tests on small skeins of wool |
| 500 g | 250,000 seeds | dyeing larger amounts of wool |
| 1000 g | 500,000 seeds | workshop dye projects |
The shop sells to adults only and offers the seeds strictly for horticultural use. Order only where they are legal: the law page covers the Netherlands, the UK, Germany, the United States and France.
This site does not describe eating, drinking or combining the seeds with other substances, and gives no amounts for consumption.
