Peganum harmala - The Intoxicating Syrian Rue

In short: Peganum harmala (Syrian rue) is a perennial of the Nitrariaceae family, growing 30 to 100 cm tall. Its seeds contain the alkaloid harmine, which can trigger hallucinations lasting 4 to 24 hours, with the strongest effects about 3 hours after ingestion; larger amounts depress the central nervous system. The plant is not frost-resistant and must be overwintered.

Syrian rue (lat. Peganum harmala) is a perennial plant from the Nitrariaceae family. Syrian rue occurs from the Mediterranean region, through the Middle East to Central Asia. Its eastern range extends to Mongolia, Tibet and some provinces of China. It also grows in southern France and Hungary. It can even be found in the western parts of North America. In its native habitats, Syrian rue grows on sandy and stony slopes, in steppes and deserts. Syrian rue typically grows at altitudes from 400 up to 3,600 m above sea level. Syrian rue grows to a height of 30 to 100 cm. The stems of this plant are prostrate, spreading, forming small shrubs. The leaves are alternately arranged, irregularly divided, whitish-felted when young. Pale yellow flowers grow individually from the leaf axils. Individual flowers are approximately 2 – 3 cm in diameter. The fruit of Syrian rue is a three-chambered capsule containing many small dark brown seeds.

In English nomenclature, this plant is known by several names. Besides the above-mentioned name Syrian rue, it can also be referred to as wild rue or harmal. Common folk names for this plant include "African rue", "Turkish rue" or "harmaline".

The Legend of Evil Harmala

The legend of the evil woman Harmala comes from Syria, where the native inhabitants believe that long ago, in times when animals could still speak, there lived a virtuous girl named Hamda. Hamda fed herself and her family by herding a small flock of sheep. She usually gave away her food on the pasture to poor orphans and then staved off hunger herself by eating scrolls of woven wool. However, due to the wool, her belly became swollen and her evil sister-in-law Harmala declared her pregnant. She named an unknown shepherd as the father. Thus Hamda was to bring shame upon the entire family. She saw the shedding of her blood as the only solution to Hamda's sin. Hamda's brother refused to believe the fabricated story. However, his evil wife was relentless and devised another trick. This trick was a test that was supposed to prove Hamda's pregnancy. According to it, pregnant women are restless and often walk from sun to shade and back again. The husband finally relented and decided to participate in the test. In the afternoon, he sat in the sun and asked Hamda to pick fleas from his hair. She soon asked him to move into the shade and shortly after back into the sun. Due to this strange behavior, he finally believed that Hamda was indeed pregnant. In reality, she was not and her strange behavior was caused by poison that her sister-in-law had put in her food. Her brother did not know this and began preparing Hamda's death with his wife. So in the morning he took Hamda and brought her to a dried well, on which he secretly spread a blanket so that Hamda could not see it. Then he invited her to sit on the blanket and continue picking fleas from his head. Hamda, suspecting nothing, stepped on the blanket and fell into the well. Her brother even threw a burning dried bush after her. However, Hamda survived the fall into the well and was protected from the fire by her virtue. Unfortunately, she could not get out of the well by herself. She therefore asked a crow to deliver a necklace of beads to her brother. He immediately understood that Hamda was alive and that he had acted unjustly. When he was returning home with Hamda, he already knew the malice of his wife. As punishment, he cut off her head with a sword and cursed her into a bush so repulsive that even donkeys cannot eat more than one mouthful of it. His evil wife became a bush named after her - Harmala.

Intoxicating Effects of Syrian Rue

The psychotropic effects of Syrian rue have been known for a very long time. Its seeds were used in folk medicine as an almost universal remedy. In small amounts, Syrian rue can have a stimulating and therapeutic effect on the brain. Conversely, in large amounts it can be very dangerous - it has a depressive effect on the central nervous system, can cause seizures or even paralysis accompanied by strong hallucinations. In Egypt, an oil from Syrian rue seeds is available, which is used as a love potion. In Uzbekistan, dried stems are a common part of their homes and serve mainly for fumigating living spaces. Syrian rue has bactericidal and insecticidal effects.

The intoxicating effects of Syrian rue are caused by the content of harmine, which can induce hallucinations even in small doses. Hallucinations induced by harmine last 4 – 24 hours depending on the amount consumed, with maximum effects usually occurring around 3 hours after ingestion, depending on the dose. After the relaxation and cheerful mood wear off, overdose often leads to very unpleasant states manifesting as nausea, anxiety, cramps, and hallucinations. The plant is poisonous, eating it can be dangerous, and it is grown only as an ornamental.

Growing Peganum harmala

Harmala can be grown even in our conditions. It's not complicated at all, you just mustn't forget that harmala is not frost-resistant and must be properly overwintered. In outdoor locations, harmala is planted in well-draining sandy soil. Prepared seedlings can be planted when there's no longer a risk of ground frost, and they vegetate outdoors until autumn, when the above-ground parts dry out. The carrot-like roots remain underground and need to be removed from the soil and stored in dry sand for overwintering. A cool room or cellar makes a suitable winter storage location. In spring, the roots are removed from the sand and planted back in the bed. The roots will sprout and continue growing without problems.

Harmala is grown from seeds, which remain viable for several years. Prepared seeds are sown on well-draining moistened substrate; after sowing, it's good to press them lightly into the soil. Place the sowing in a bright location, maintaining constant moisture and warmth. Seed germination is very good, but young seedlings are very delicate, so it's not recommended to transplant them when young. It's better to sow seeds less densely so transplanting seedlings isn't necessary. Water mature seedlings very carefully. Under no circumstances should excessive waterlogging occur. Plants thrive in bright locations protected from direct midday sun. The warmer the location you provide, the better they will do.