Illustration of Deadly Nightshade (Atropa Belladonna), 1830. Atropa belladonna or Atropa bella-donna, commonly known as Belladonna or Deadly Nightshade, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Solanaceae, native to Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia. The foliage and berries are extremely toxic, containing tropane alkaloids. These toxins include scopolamine and hyoscyamine, which cause a bizarre delirium and hallucinations, and are also used as pharmaceutical anticholinergics. The drug atropine is derived from the plant. It has a long history of use as a medicine, cosmetic, and poison, and before the Middle Ages it was used as an anesthetic for surgery.