Herbs Hub
Lobelia, Lobelia inflata. Botanical plate: Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte (Plat
Plate: Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte (Plat. Brandt, Wilhelm; Gürke, M.; Köhler, F. E.; Pabst, G.; Schellenberg, G.; Vogtherr, Max.. Public domain.

Lobelia

Lobelia inflata

Herbs & Roots. Native American and Western & European.

Also called Indian tobacco, Pukeweed, Asthma weed

Spanish: Lobelia

Poisonous; can cause collapse

A roadside wildflower whose chemicals cause vomiting, and which was used for asthma and cleansing but is dangerous.

Did you know? Its nickname, pukeweed, comes from the vomiting it causes, which 1800s healers in the Thomsonian system used on purpose.

What it may help, and how strong the proof is

  • Breathing & asthma. Used for asthma and bronchitis in tradition. No good human studies exist, and effective doses are close to poisonous.
    Traditional proof
  • Cleansing & detox. Used to force vomiting as a cleanse. This is not a proven or safe way to detox.
    Not supported

Parts of the body

Lungs, Liver, Kidneys & bladder

Traditional use

Native peoples used it for breathing and chest problems. In the 1800s, Samuel Thomson's followers used it to force vomiting as a cleansing treatment.

How it is classified

Herbal actions
Expectorant, Antispasmodic, Nervine. Energy: warming.

How people take it

Old practitioners used small tinctures, but the safe range is narrow. No safe home dose is known, so do not self-dose.

Tincture and powder.

Where to get it

Grows in fields, roadsides and open woods across eastern and central North America. Sold as dried herb and tincture. Do not pick wild plants to use as medicine.

Be careful

Contains lobeline, which affects the nerves and heart. It can cause vomiting, sweating, fast heartbeat and collapse. High doses can cause convulsions, coma and death. Do not use with heart disease or high blood pressure, in pregnancy, or with children.

Avoid if: pregnancy; breastfeeding; children under 12; heart disease; high blood pressure.

Mixing with other things

No specific mixing notes on file. That doesn't prove it's safe with everything; ask a pharmacist about your full list.

The honest take

Lobelia has a violent history, including 1800s practices that forced vomiting for almost every illness. Its modern evidence for asthma or cleansing is essentially nonexistent. It is not safe to use.