Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)

Ashwagandha is the everyday name for Withania somnifera, a small nightshade shrub whose fleshy roots have been used for centuries in Ayurveda and related Indian traditions.

Botanical name: Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal
Family: Solanaceae
Tamil: Amukkara
Hindi: Ashwagandha
Sanskrit: Aśvagandhā
Parts used: Root, Leaves (less often)
Habit: Subshrub or shrub of subtropical and dry regions
Last updated: 2026-10-30

How to recognise Ashwagandha

Withania somnifera is a member of the nightshade family, Solanaceae, the same family as tomato, chilli and Physalis. Linnaeus first published the plant as Physalis somnifera in 1753; Dunal moved it to Withania in 1852. Kew accepts that name today.

It is usually a subshrub, not a tall tree: branching from a woody base, with ovate leaves that can feel slightly felted, and small greenish or yellow flowers. The fruit is a berry enclosed in a papery calyx, like a modest cape gooseberry. The root is the part most often dried and powdered.

The Sanskrit name aśvagandhā is commonly explained as “horse smell” or “horse strength.” That folk etymology is about the scent of the fresh root and a traditional idea of vitality. It is not a botanical character and should not be used to identify a sample in a market.

Because several Withania species exist and because powdered root is easy to adulterate, a label that only says “ashwagandha” is not an identification. A serious record needs the Latin name, the plant part, and a batch that can be traced.

Traditional use of Ashwagandha

Ayurveda

Classical Ayurvedic writing treats the root as a rasāyana — a rejuvenative — and as a plant associated with strength, sleep and recovery after strain. Those statements are historical uses in a humoral system. They are not modern diagnoses and they are not a licence to self-prescribe.

Ayurvedic tradition as summarised in later pharmacopoeial lists; not a quotation of a copyrighted edition

Siddha and folk use in South India

In Tamil-speaking regions the plant is known as amukkara. Household and vaithiyar practice has used the root in tonics and in preparations for fatigue. As with other South Indian materia medica, the same plant may appear under more than one recipe name.

Regional Siddha and folk naming; see also the Tamil name recorded in Indian vernacular lists

Modern notes on Ashwagandha

Modern papers have studied root extracts for sleep quality, perceived stress and physical performance. Results are mixed, doses and extracts are not interchangeable, and many trials are small. A positive study on one standardised extract does not mean a kitchen powder will do the same thing.

Kew records the species as accepted and notes a wide native range. That botanical fact is solid. Clinical claims are not.

Ashwagandha products sold as “supplements” sit in a different legal box from a prescribed Ayurvedic medicine. This site does not sell either, and it does not tell you which, if any, is appropriate for a person.

Ashwagandha safety

Nightshades can be confused; do not eat unidentified berries from a Withania plant.

People who are pregnant, trying to conceive, breastfeeding, or taking thyroid, sedative or blood-pressure medicines should not start ashwagandha without a clinician who knows their history.

Case reports have linked some ashwagandha products to liver injury. A “natural” label does not make a root extract harmless.

It is not medical advice and not an offer to sell.

Ecology and sourcing

POWO describes a native range from southern Europe and Africa across India to Myanmar and China, with some introductions elsewhere. It is a plant of drier, subtropical ground more than of wet evergreen forest.

Wild collection of roots kills the plant. Anyone who later sells ashwagandha as a crop should grow it, not pull it from common land.

Related plants

Also in Solanaceae

Questions about Ashwagandha

What is the botanical name of ashwagandha?

The accepted name is Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal, in the family Solanaceae.

Is ashwagandha the same as winter cherry?

Winter cherry is an English name sometimes used for this species. It is also used for other plants, so the Latin name is the reliable one.

Sources

Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.