Gypsum Weed and the Salem Witch Trials:

A Poisoned Connection?

May 16, 2025

man in black hoodie standing on snow covered ground during daytime — Photo by petr sidorov on Unsplash

A Dark Herb in a Dark Chapter of History

In the long shadow of the Salem witch trials of 1692, one question still lingers among herbal historians and folklorists alike: Could a misunderstood herb known as Gypsum Weed—or more correctly, Jimsonweed (Datura stramonium)—have played a role in the hallucinatory, fearful behaviors that sparked hysteria and cost innocent lives?

As part of our Simples & Worts series uncovering 17th-century medicinal, culinary, and possibly mystical herbs, this installment dives deep into a potent, and potentially poisonous, plant that may have slipped into the colonists’ kitchens under the guise of a simple remedy.

What Is Gypsum Weed?

Gypsum Weed, also called Jimsonweed, Devil’s Snare, or Thorn Apple, is a member of the nightshade family. It grows wild in temperate zones, with large trumpet-shaped flowers and spiny seed pods. While its name might remind us of “gypsum” the mineral, its true etymology likely comes from “Jamestown Weed”—a corruption born of its appearance during an incident in Jamestown, Virginia.

In 1676, a group of British soldiers reportedly consumed a stew laced with Jimsonweed and experienced days of delirium. One recorded account described them as:

“Turning natural fools upon it for several days... they turned up their heels like great birds and snapped at each other with their beaks.”

That same plant—abundant in the untamed meadows and edge zones of New England—may have made its way into herbal cakes, tisanes, or potions during the 1600s. And therein lies the chilling connection.

Gypsum Cakes and Colonial Folk Medicine

Early herbal folk practices often involved making cakes or poultices from medicinal plants—some benign, others dangerously misunderstood. There's some evidence that “Gypsum Cakes” could have been a term used in rural herbal communities for poultices or dried cakes incorporating Jimsonweed or related herbs. These may have been burned, brewed, or ingested.

Used externally, Datura had some value in treating asthma, spasms, and pain relief—the basis for many of its early European uses. But internally, it becomes a neurotoxic hallucinogen. Even small doses of its alkaloids—scopolamine, hyoscyamine, and atropine—can lead to:

Delirium
Paranoia
Hyperactivity followed by stupor
Hallucinations
Loss of bodily control
Coma or death

Could Jimsonweed Have Sparked Witchcraft Accusations?

Let’s consider the symptoms of young girls like Betty Parris and Abigail Williams in Salem—fits, hallucinations, strange speech, and trances. Could these mirror the neurological effects of ingesting Jimsonweed?

Some researchers have theorized that ergot poisoning (from contaminated rye) caused the behaviors, but Jimsonweed is an equally plausible culprit—particularly in a community that still leaned heavily on simples and herbal cakes for daily remedies.

Imagine a caregiver, desperate to cure spasms, mixing a cake or tisane from what she believed was a healing plant. Instead, the children spiral into madness—and panic spreads.

It wouldn’t take much for villagers to label these reactions as witchcraft rather than botanical misjudgment.

⚠️ Jimsonweed Today: A Herb of Caution

Today, Jimsonweed is classified as a toxic and potentially lethal plant. Ingesting any part of the plant is strongly discouraged outside of highly controlled pharmaceutical settings. Herbalists around the world respect it—but treat it with extreme caution.

In most regions, it’s:

Illegal to sell for consumption
Restricted in herbal formulations
Recognized as a toxic ornamental or invasive weed

What Herbalists Should Learn from This

The story of Gypsum Weed reminds us why herbal wisdom must be grounded in science and safety. While colonial healers worked without our modern knowledge, today we have the tools to discern which plants can heal, and which can harm.

Jimsonweed is not an herb for casual experimentation.
It belongs not in the kitchen or cup, but in the cautionary tales of history—and in this case, possibly the twisted roots of Salem’s darkest hour.

Simples & Worts Side Note: Herbal Imposters

Jimsonweed isn’t the only plant with a dangerous doppelgänger. In upcoming posts, we’ll explore other herbs once considered healing but now known to harbor dark secrets—like hemlock, monkshood, and wormseed.

SIDEBAR: How to Identify Jimsonweed (a.k.a. Gypsum Weed / Devil’s Snare)

Not all that flowers is friendly.
Jimsonweed is a dangerously deceptive plant—easy to spot once you know what to look for.

Key Identification Traits

Flower:

Large, white to purplish trumpet-shaped blossoms
Blooms in late summer to early fall
Often blooms at night or early morning
2–5 inches long, upright or slightly tilted

Leaves:

Large, dark green, and irregularly toothed or lobed
Can emit an unpleasant odor when crushed
Up to 6–8 inches long

Seed Pod:

Hard, round, and spiny (like a thorny walnut)
1–2 inches wide, turns brown and splits open when mature
Contains numerous dark brown/black seeds

Growth Habit:

2 to 5 feet tall at maturity
Bushy, branching structure
Grows wild in disturbed soil, ditches, roadsides, and fields

⚠️ Warning Signs

If you see a pretty trumpet flower and a prickly seed ball on the same plant—keep your distance.
Never ingest any part of this plant. It is toxic in all forms.

Where It Grows

Common throughout New England, including rural Massachusetts
Prefers sunny, disturbed soils—construction sites, abandoned lots, field edges