Horehound, Black Archangel, Black Hoarhound, Fetid Horehound, Stinking Roger, Ballota

Last updated: February 8, 2026Reviewed date: February 8, 2026Reading time: 7 min read

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For severe symptoms, danger signs, pregnancy, child illness, or sudden worsening, seek urgent medical care.

বাংলা রোগী নোট এখনো যোগ করা হয়নি। পোস্ট এডিটরে “RX Bangla Patient Mode” বক্স থেকে সহজ বাংলা সারাংশ যোগ করুন।

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Article Summary

Key Takeaways

This article explains Facts of Black Horehound in simple medical language.
This article explains Black Horehound Scientific Classification in simple medical language.
This article explains Traditional uses in simple medical language.

Educational health guideWritten for patient understanding and clinical awareness.

Reviewed content workflowUse writer and reviewer profiles for stronger trust.

Emergency safety firstUrgent warning signs are highlighted below.

Seek urgent medical care if you notice

These warning signs are general safety guidance. Local emergency numbers and clinical judgment should always come first.

Severe symptoms, breathing difficulty, fainting, confusion, or rapidly worsening illness.
New weakness, severe pain, high fever, or symptoms after a serious injury.
Any symptom that feels urgent, unusual, or unsafe for the patient.

Emergency now

Use emergency care for severe, sudden, rapidly worsening, or life-threatening symptoms.

See a doctor

Book a professional medical evaluation if symptoms persist, worsen, recur often, affect daily activities, or occur in a high-risk patient.

Learn safely

Use this article to understand possible causes, tests, treatment options, prevention, and questions to ask your clinician.

Black horehound is a perennial plant that belongs to the Lamiaceae family. Native to the Mediterranean region and Central Asia, this plant grows to 3 feet high. It could be found all over Europe and Eastern regions of United States. Black Horehound is also known as Black (Stinking) Horehound, Black Archangel, Black Hoarhound, Fetid Horehound, Stinking Roger, Ballota, Ballote fétide, Ballota nigra, Ballote Noire, Ballote vulgaire, Ballote puante, Black stinking horehound, Marrube Noir, Marrube fétide and Horehound Black. The herb blooms from May to August. It has fibroid and wood like root. Leaves are stalked, pale green with coarsely serrated margins which appears on the stem in pairs. Flowers are hermaphrodite and form in crowded and compact whorls with reddish to purple hue.

Facts of Black Horehound

Name	Black Horehound
Scientific Name	Ballota nigra
Native	Native to Mediterranean region and Central Asia. It is available throughout Europe. It is naturalized in New Zealand, Argentina, and Eastern United States.
Common/English Name	Black (Stinking) Horehound, Black Archangel, Black Hoarhound, Fetid Horehound, Stinking Roger, Ballota, Ballote fétide, Ballota nigra, Ballote Noire, Ballote vulgaire, Ballote puante, Black stinking horehound, Marrube Noir, Marrube fétide, Horehound Black
Name in Other Languages	Dutch: Echte En Stinkende Ballote, Stinkende Ballote; German: Schwarznessel, Stinkandorn; Danish: Tandbæger, Rød Tandæger; Spanish: Ballota, Balota, Marrubio Bastardo, Marrubio Negro; French: Ballote Vulgaire, Schwarznessel, Stinkandorn, Ballote fétide, Ballote du midi ; Finnish: porro; Romanian: cătuşe; Spanish: Ballota, Balota, Marrubio Bastardo, Marrubio Negro; Swedish: Bosyska; Catalan: Malroig negre, Malrubí pudent, Malrubí negre, Marreu negre, Ortiga pudent, Ortiga borda
Plant Growth Habit	Perennial
Soil	Moist
Plant Size	0.30 to 1 m
Root	Taproot
Stem	Upright, angular, sturdy, branched
Flowering Season	May to August
Flower	1-1.5 cm, reddish to purple
Fruit shape & size	Ovoid, 12 mm long
Plant parts used	Herb, Aerial parts

Black Horehound Scientific Classification

Scientific Name: Ballota nigra

Rank	Scientific Name & (Common Name)
Kingdom	Plantae (Plantes, Planta, Vegetal, plants)
Subkingdom	Viridiplantae
Infrakingdom	Streptophyta (Land plants)
Superdivision	Embryophyta
Division	Tracheophyta (Vascular plants, tracheophytes)
Class	Magnoliopsida
Order	Lamiales
Family	Lamiaceae (Mints, menthes)
Genus	Ballota L. (Horehound)
Species	Ballota nigra L. (Black horehound)
Synonyms	Ballota foetida Lam. Ballota nigra var. urticifolia (Ortim. ex Rchb.) Rchb.f. Ballota sordida Salisb. Ballota urticifolia Ortim. Ballota urticifolia Ortim. ex Rchb. Marrubium nigrum (L.) Garsault Stachys ballota Kuntze

The plant prefers well-drained and moist soil. Black horehound plant prefers full sunlight and partial shade. It grows in wild so it should be kept away from acid soils and is able to tolerate low pH to 5. It is able to bear low temperatures to -10 to -5 ° C. It is found in waysides, hedgerows and waste ground on disturbed nutrient rich soils in areas which ranges from full shade to no shade. The term Ballota was derived from the Greek word ballo which means to reject and nigra refers to black color of dried leaves. Black Horehound provides offensive smell and unpleasant odor. It has stout, branching stems with fibrous root system. Black horehound is used as a treatment for bites of mad dogs, snakes, antidote to vegetable poisons and eliminates intestinal worms. Being an emenagogue, it restores the balance of menstrual cycle.

Flower and Fruit

Flowers measures about 1-1.5 cm long. It is made up of five sepals which are fused together in a tube with five teeth. The labiate corolla measures 12-13 mm and its color ranges from pink to purple to white. The corolla has tube of 6 mm with two lips. The lower one is glabrous with two lateral lobes; and the upper one is slightly concave and is externally hairy. It is arranged in 4-10 loose and short stemmed cymes in axils. The superior ovary has two parted stigma and single white style. Calyx is funnel shaped and has five awned tips. Stamens have hairy base and small spreading pollen sacks. The flower later on turns into a nut. Nuts are smooth, ovoid in shape and measures 12 mm long.

Stem and Leaves

Horehound has sturdy, branches, upright and angular stems. The plant is fresh green and pubescent. Leaves are opposite and decussate, oval to lanceolate to heart shaped with dentate or crenate border. The pubescent, dark green leaves measure 3-8 cm per 2-6 cm and the petiole is about 1-3 cm. Lower leaves are ovate to round and are 2 cm long. Leaf-blades are 1.5-3.5 cm wide.

Traditional uses

Black Horehound is useful for vomiting, nausea, vomiting and nervous dyspepsia.
It is useful for hypochondria, hysteria, spasms, whooping cough, stomach cramps and for increasing bile flow.
Horehound also treats nausea, upset stomach and vomiting.
This herb is used in France for nervous disorders in children and adults, male sleep disorders and coughs.
Use it externally for gout.
It provides relief from nervous disorders.
Black horehound helps to eliminate intestinal worms.
The herb is used for motion sickness and nausea caused due to nervousness.
Use it orally for gout and pain, swelling, stiffness, or reduced movement. সহজ বাংলা: জয়েন্টের প্রদাহ।" data-rx-term="arthritis" data-rx-definition="Arthritis means joint inflammation causing pain, swelling, stiffness, or reduced movement. সহজ বাংলা: জয়েন্টের প্রদাহ।">arthritis.
It is used by ancient people as a treatment for rabies.
Black horehound was used for convulsions, menopause, low spirits and problems associated with respiratory system.
This herb is helpful for asthma, bronchitis and coughs.

Precautions

Avoid its excessive use.
Not recommended to use by children, pregnant and breastfeeding women.
Avoid by psychotic disorders and schizophrenia patients.
It might interact with specific drugs or supplements, iron supplements and counting sedatives.
Black Horehound could obstruct with the body’s ability of iron absorption.
People who are allergic to Black horehound should avoid it.
In people with Parkinson’s disease, Black horehound could interfere with the dopamine action in the brain.

References

Safety note: This is not a prescription or diagnosis. For severe symptoms, pregnancy danger signs, children with serious illness, chest pain, breathing difficulty, stroke-like weakness, or major injury, seek urgent care.

Which doctor may help?

Start with a registered doctor or the nearest qualified health center.

What to tell the doctor

Write when the problem started and how it changed.
Bring old prescriptions, investigation reports, and current medicines.
Write allergies, pregnancy status, diabetes, kidney/liver disease, and major past illnesses.
Bring one family member if the patient is weak, elderly, confused, or a child.

Questions to ask

What is the most likely cause of my symptoms?
Which danger signs mean I should go to hospital quickly?
Which tests are necessary now, and which can wait?
How should I take medicines safely and what side effects should I watch for?
When should I come for follow-up?

Tests to discuss

Vital signs: temperature, pulse, blood pressure, oxygen saturation
Basic physical examination by a clinician
CBC, urine test, blood sugar, or imaging only when clinically needed

Avoid these mistakes

Do not use antibiotics, steroid tablets/injections, or strong painkillers without proper medical advice.
Do not hide pregnancy, kidney disease, ulcer, allergy, or blood thinner use.
Do not delay emergency care when danger signs are present.

Medicine safety and first-aid guide

This section is for patient education only. It does not replace a doctor, pharmacist, or emergency care.

Safe first steps

Drink safe fluids and monitor temperature.
In dengue-prone areas, discuss CBC and platelet count when fever persists or warning signs appear.
Use tepid sponging for high fever discomfort; avoid ice-cold bathing.

OTC medicine safety

For fever, common fever medicine may be discussed with a clinician or pharmacist.
Avoid aspirin/ibuprofen-like medicines in suspected dengue unless a doctor says it is safe.

Avoid these mistakes

Do not start antibiotics without a proper medical decision.
Do not use steroid tablets or injections casually for quick relief.
Do not delay emergency care because of home remedies.

Get urgent help if

Fever with breathing difficulty, confusion, repeated vomiting, bleeding, severe weakness, stiff neck, or dehydration needs urgent care.

Medicine names, dose, and timing must be decided by a qualified clinician or pharmacist after checking age, pregnancy, allergy, other diseases, and current medicines.

For rural patients and family caregivers

Patient health record and symptom diary

Write your symptoms, medicines already taken, test results, and questions before visiting a doctor. This note stays on your device unless you print or copy it.

Doctor to discuss: Doctor / qualified healthcare provider

Tests to discuss with doctor

Basic vital signs: temperature, pulse, blood pressure, oxygen level if needed
Relevant blood, urine, imaging, or specialist tests only after clinical assessment

Questions to ask

What is the most likely cause of my symptoms?
Which warning signs mean I should go to emergency care?
Which tests are really needed now?
Which medicines are safe for my age, pregnancy status, allergy, kidney/liver/stomach condition, and current medicines?

Emergency warning signs such as chest pain, severe breathing difficulty, sudden weakness, confusion, severe dehydration, major injury, or loss of bladder/bowel control need urgent medical care. Do not wait for online information.

Go to emergency care if you notice:

Severe or rapidly worsening symptoms
Breathing difficulty, chest pain, fainting, confusion, severe weakness, major injury, or severe dehydration

Doctor / service to discuss: Qualified healthcare provider; specialist depends on symptoms and examination.

Step 1
Check danger signs first
If danger signs are present, seek emergency care and do not wait for online information.
Step 2
Record the symptom story
Write when symptoms started, severity, medicines already taken, allergies, pregnancy status, and test results.
Step 3
Visit a qualified clinician
A doctor, nurse, or qualified healthcare provider can examine you and decide which tests or treatment are needed.
Step 4
Do only useful tests
Do tests after clinical assessment. Avoid unnecessary tests, random antibiotics, or repeated medicines without diagnosis.
Step 5
Follow up and return early if worse
If symptoms worsen, new warning signs appear, or treatment is not helping, return for review quickly.

Rural patient practical tips

Take a written symptom diary and all previous prescriptions/test reports.
Do not hide medicines already taken, even herbal or over-the-counter medicines.
Ask which warning signs mean urgent referral to hospital.

This roadmap is for education. A real diagnosis and treatment plan requires history, examination, and clinical judgment.

RX Patient Help

Ask a health question safely

Write your symptom story. A health professional or site editor can review it before any answer is prepared. This box is not for emergency care.

Emergency first: Severe chest pain, breathing trouble, unconsciousness, stroke signs, severe injury, heavy bleeding, or rapidly worsening symptoms need urgent local medical care now.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this article a replacement for a doctor?

No. It is educational content only. Patients should consult a qualified clinician for diagnosis and treatment.

When should I seek urgent care?

Seek urgent care for severe symptoms, rapidly worsening condition, breathing difficulty, severe pain, neurological changes, or any emergency warning sign.