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Botanical illustration of Elephant Creeper
MedicinalSourced entry

Elephant Creeper

Argyreia nervosa

Hawaiian baby woodrose, a climbing vine whose leaves helped wounds heal in rats and whose seeds contain the hallucinogen LSA.

Safety at a glance

  • PregnancyNothing recorded
  • BreastfeedingNothing recorded
  • MedicinesNothing recorded
  • Who should avoid itNothing recorded
  • AllergiesNothing recorded
  • Toxicity1 note →

Tap a box to read the safety notes below. “Nothing recorded” means our sources don't cover it, not that it's safe.

What is Elephant Creeper?

Plant family
Convolvulaceae, the morning glory family
Parts used
The leaves and roots (the seeds are hallucinogenic)
Where it grows
India; now grown in tropical regions
Genus
Argyreia
Species
nervosa

Also called

Hawaiian Baby Woodrose

Traditionally used for

  • Wounds (traditional)

Traditionally described as

  • Seeds contain LSA

Natural compounds

Lysergic Acid Amide

Safety

Toxicity testing

  • The seeds contain LSA, a hallucinogen. People who took them have had hallucinations, nausea and anxiety, and some had psychosis, high blood pressure or needed hospital care. The amount of LSA in seeds varies a lot, which makes the effects unpredictable.[1]Review or trial

What does the research say?

Traditional use

These are traditional uses, not proven treatments.

  • The seeds have been used in rituals and traditional medicine by Indigenous peoples. They are the main source of lysergic acid amide (LSA), a hallucinogen related to LSD.[1]Review or trial

Laboratory & animal research

Lab and animal results show what might be worth studying in people. They don't show that the herb has these effects in humans.

  • In normal and diabetic rats and mice, a leaf extract applied to wounds, or taken by mouth in diabetic animals, helped wounds heal faster.[2]Study

In short

The seeds are hallucinogenic and have caused psychosis and hospital visits.

Sources

  1. [1] Lysergic Acid Amide (LSA), an LSD Analog: Systematic Review of Pharmacological Effects, Adverse Outcomes, and Therapeutic Potentials · DOI: 10.3390/pharmacy13040098Review or clinical trial
  2. [2] Wound healing activity of Argyreia nervosa leaves extract · DOI: 10.4103/2229-516X.81978Peer-reviewed study

This information is educational and traditional in nature, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Unfamiliar word? See what these words mean.