Psychoactive

Plants whose chemicals alter mood, perception, or consciousness, ranging from mild anxiolytics to powerful hallucinogens. Cultural significance often includes ritual, shamanic, or recreational use. Use this tag for species like ayahuasca or opium poppy where psychoactivity is central.


  • Ayahuasca: Amazonian Plant Lessons

    Ayahuasca: Amazonian Plant Lessons

    Ayahuasca, a traditional Amazonian psychoactive brew, has spread globally since the late 1990s, especially through New Age practices and ecotourism. Its deep Indigenous roots and evolving meanings highlight the complex human-plant relationships that have been reshaped in the global marketplace.
    vine, psychoactive, medicinal, tropical
  • Opium Poppy: A Cursed Beauty

    Opium Poppy: A Cursed Beauty

    The opium poppy has a long, complex history—as a sacred medicinal plant, a source of artistic inspiration, and a driver of addiction and conflict. This story traces its journey from ancient ritual use to modern controversy, revealing shifting perceptions of the poppy as both a symbol of beauty and a global blight.
    flower, ornamental, psychoactive, medicinal