Quick View
Effects: Smoking Wild Dagga can be calming and relaxing. Feeling of light-headedness
Pros: Mild calming effect. Induce a feeling of euphoria. Psychoactive and healing properties.
Cons: Even if it may be used as a cannabis substitute, the high is less potent.
History
Wild dagga (Leonotis leonurus), also known as Lion’s tail, is a large broadleaf evergreen shrub belonging to the mint family (Lamiaceae). Native to South Africa, this robust plant can reach heights of 2-3m and a 1.5 wide.
It is most commonly found growing wild amongst rock outcrops in South African grassland habitats. Wild dagga is very striking during its prolific autumn flowering stage, with bright orange cluster flowers arranged in whorls along the flower stalk. While Wild dagga is visually impressive, it also has a number of medicinal and psychoactive properties that make it an attractive plant.
Wild dagga has an amazing array of applications and a very strong connection with South African people. This plant is widely used in traditional medicines to treat a wide range of ailments.
The roots are used to treat stings and bites, including snake bites. External mixtures are applied to remedy boils, itches and other skin complaints, as well as muscular cramps. Wild dagga mixtures are also consumed to help high blood pressure, jaundice, haemorrhoids, dysentery, fever, headaches, influenza, asthma and coughs. Leaves are also smoked to help treat epilepsy and partial paralysis.
Wild dagga is commonly referred to as ‘wild cannabis’.
Calming and sedating sensations are felt when the flowers are consumed as a tea, while euphoric reactions occur when the flowers are smoked. South African tribes have traditionally smoked wild dagga flowers and leaves for its euphoric effect.
It is not only South Africans that have long appreciated the benefits of wild dagga, as this plant is also consumed in Chinese and Vietnamese culture for its euphoric effects.
Effects
The Wild dagga flowers can be brewed into a tea and consumed to experience the plants relaxing and soothing effects.
T 0:40 I just got out of the lazyboy after about 15 minutes (?) of being oddly unable to summon the willpower to move. I’m definitely feeling light and very calm. This is beyond placebo effect. I kinda like it. There isn’t any visual distortions or cartoon haziness like with cannabis, unfortunately. The best way to describe it is a heady lightness.
DMT Tom experience report on Erowid
Smoking Wild Dagga Flowers
Wild dagga smokers report mood enhancement, slight giddiness, increased colour perception and mental clarity. If enough flowers are smoked, mild visual hallucinations may also occur. All these effects are associated with smoking the flowers. It is possible to gain similar effects by smoking the leaves, but a much larger quantity is needed. Although this plant is appealing for its euphoric effects, it also has great value for its calming properties.
[…] I downed 2 bongs of Dagga to start with, waited three minutes to appreciate the effects which were quite subtle but nice. I then pulled two bongs of the Damiana and waited another three minutes for it to settle in. A fairly good buzz is flowing through my channels now. Still nothing compared to some good weed but definitely worth the dirt cheap price in that respect. Finally I topped it off with two swift hits of the Catnip. Ten minutes later and I’m tuned in very sweetly indeed. The Catnip has seemed to potentiate the other two herbs pretty effectively. Definitely a mild euphoric feeling here. I’m experiencing heightened sensitivity to light and colours are brighter too.
Psilocyber experience report on Erowid
The properties of Wild dagger flowers make this plant an appealing legal alternative to cannabis.
If looking for a natural high, wild dagga flowers are considered versatile because they can be smoked independently for its own euphoric effects. It can also be combined with other herbs to create variations in euphoria and exuberance.
In essence, wild dagga flowers make an excellent herbal catalyst to enhance the effects of other products in a herbal blend.
Legality
Wild dagga is mostly legal everywhere except Latvia and Poland. Please note that the main active alkaloid is leonurine and this is responsible for the plant’s psychoactive properties. Leonurine is most highly concentrated in the flowers of the plant.
Where to buy Wild Dagga Flowers
In an effort to increase product discovery, we’ve aggregated and curated dagga products from trusted sellers. Please note that this new feature is in beta!
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Nicolas ‘Axel’ Duval is the founder and content editor of this website. He launched Smokable Herbs in 2011. He later created the Smokably herb online store, which sells herbs and blends worldwide.
As an herbalist and marketing enthusiast, he used Smokable Herbs as a sandbox to test ideas and deploy content.
Hi Yoshi, I would like to know if I can use leaves , flowers and roots together for the treatment of skin problems?
Hey thank you for this information.
I’m having trouble ordering the right amount from the best supplier for wild dagga. Please let me know what you think it’s the best quantity and quality for the best price.
Thank you,
HealingGoddess
Do you recommend any sellers on Etsy for Leonotis leonurus? Thanks
Hey, are only the orange flowers that have these qualities or the other flower colors too? Thank you 🙂
Hey Axel, just got some dagga to try for the first time. I rolled up a joint and tried smoking it, but only got about halfway through because of the harshness. I blended it with a little marihuanilla but it was still too much. Any herbs you recommend blending with?
Hey Alex, i’d like to know if the Siberian Motherwort (Marihuanilla) can cause some hallucinations too like wild dagga, since it contains some of the wild dagga alkaloids. Cause i’m schizophrenic and i tried wild dagga and it left me with hallucinations at night for weeks. Thanks
Hey,
Any advice on making the burnining sensation in your lungs less intense?
Best,
M
HEY ALEX IT IS ME YOSHI AGAIN. HAVE YOU EVER TRIED KLIP DAGGA? I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW CAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A TINCTURE OUT OF IT? PLEASE HELP ME OUT I ALWAYS COME TO YOUR PAGE FOR HELP. ONCE AGAIN YOUR FRIEND YOSHI PEACE AND LOVE
Unfortunately, I did not try it *yet
But I’ve heard it’s good.
Hi Alex what is your take on Wild dagga is it better smoked or made Into tincture? And what parts the most potent just flowers or whole plant ?
Hi Yoshi, good to see you
Just the flowers are interesting, those bright orange petals are what matter in this plant.
The tincture will be better to receive the full medicinal benefits of Wild Dagga without burning the plant, smoking it will be better to feel the “legal high” effects faster.
You can always make a tea with the flowers if you wanna try something new.
Wild Dagga Flowers is one my favorite, you can’t go wrong either way.
I hope I somewhat helped, thanks!
I DIDN’T UNDERSTAND SO WHAT YOU SAYING THAT SMOKING WILD DAGGA FLOWERS IS THE ONLY WAY TO FEEL THE LEGAL HIGH EFFECT? THAT MEANS I WONT GET THE HIGH WITH MAKING IT INTO A TINCTURE? AND HOW LONG IS THE FEELING OF WILD DAGGA IN BOTH FORMS? PLEASE ONCE AGAIN I AM NEW ALEX SO PLEASE DONT GET MAD MY FRIEND PEACE AND LOVE
A faster high if you smoke it. You’ll still feel the effect in a tincture. What I meant is whatever you do, use the flowers.
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