Illustration of the Argyreia nervosa vine with heart-shaped leaves, lavender flowers and dried seed pods
Hawaiian Baby Woodrose Seeds
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Argyreia nervosa ยท seeds, alkaloids, risks, law

Hawaiian baby woodrose seeds, read before anything else

Hawaiian baby woodrose is Argyreia nervosa, a woody climbing vine from the morning glory family. Its seeds contain ergine (LSA) and a mix of related ergot alkaloids, and they are sold in some countries as a so-called legal high. This site explains the plant, the chemistry and what published research has found, including the parts a seller would rather leave out.

Key facts

  • The plant. A tropical vine native to the Indian subcontinent and Myanmar, climbing up to about 10 metres, with large heart-shaped leaves that are silvery underneath. Despite the name, it is an introduced plant in Hawaii.
  • The seeds. Three to five seeds sit in each dried fruit. One seed weighs roughly 100 mg.
  • The chemistry. The main alkaloids are ergine (LSA) and isoergine. Measured content per seed differs by a factor of four or more within a single batch, and some batches contain almost nothing.
  • The risks. Nausea and vomiting are the most common effects reported to poison centres. Ergot alkaloids narrow blood vessels, and raised heart rate and blood pressure are documented even in healthy volunteers.
  • The official view. In 2020 the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) concluded that "the use of these seeds is unsafe" and that no safe level could be derived (RIVM, 2020).
  • The law. LSA is a Class A drug in the United Kingdom and a Schedule III substance in the United States. In Germany it falls under a group ban on new psychoactive substances. The plant itself is rarely named.

What this site does and does not do

We summarise studies, case reports and the law, with the source next to each claim. We do not give doses, preparation methods or extraction instructions. The research shows that the same amount of seed affects people in very different ways, and that the alkaloid content of a seed cannot be judged by looking at it. A dosing table would suggest a precision that does not exist.

The seeds sold by the shop behind this site are offered as botanical specimens for growing the vine, which is a striking ornamental in a warm conservatory.

The chapters

  1. 01 Argyreia nervosa, the plant behind the seeds Hawaiian baby woodrose as a plant: where it comes from, its many names, leaves, flowers and seed pods, the fungus that makes its alkaloids, and its relatives.
  2. 02 LSA and the other alkaloids in the seeds Ergine (LSA), isoergine, ergometrine and the clavines: what lab analyses found in Argyreia nervosa seeds, how LSA relates to LSD, and why content varies.
  3. 03 Effects and duration, as described in research What volunteer studies, poison centre data and published reports describe after Hawaiian baby woodrose seeds: onset, timeline, mental and physical effects.
  4. 04 Nausea and vasoconstriction, the two known problems Why Hawaiian baby woodrose seeds so often cause nausea and vomiting, how ergot alkaloids narrow blood vessels, and what serious cases show.
  5. 05 Who should stay away from these seeds Groups for whom Hawaiian baby woodrose seeds carry extra risk, dangerous combinations with medicines and drugs, and what to do when things go wrong.
  6. 06 Is Hawaiian baby woodrose legal? Country by country The legal status of Argyreia nervosa seeds and of LSA in the Netherlands, Germany, the UK, the US, Australia, Belgium and Denmark, checked in the law texts.
  7. 07 Growing Hawaiian baby woodrose as an ornamental vine Growing Argyreia nervosa as a conservatory or patio climber: nicking the seed coat, warmth, light, soil, support, winter care and keeping it contained.

Updated