Ashwagandha

Withania somnifera

Solanaceae

Winter cherry root — an adaptogen for wired-and-tired nights, not a stimulant.

Ayurvedic supplement. Nightshade family.

Parts used: Root · Occasionally berry (traditional)
Traditional notes: Stress fatigue · Sleep that will not come · Recovery after illness · Low libido from exhaustion
Grow · USDA 6b: Tender perennial, grown as an annual north of zone 9. Start indoors 6–8 weeks before last frost. Needs a long season. In work: Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct
Harvest: Dig roots after berries form, before frost, about 150–180 days.

It needs a long hot summer. Start indoors if your season is short.
Sandy, lean soil. Rich irrigation makes leaf and little root.
Dig in autumn when the berries have turned orange and the tops tire.

Safety

Pregnancy (traditional abortifacient reputation) Hormone-sensitive prostate disease without advice Active liver disease

Lore

The name is Sanskrit for ‘smell of a horse’ — stamina, and also the stable. Ayurvedic texts treat the root as rasayana, a rejuvenative, not a coffee. The berries sit in papery lanterns like a quiet physalis.

The Herbarium — a teaching catalog, not a clinic. Traditional use is history, not a prescription. USDA 6b dates are a week either way, not a promise. Do not eat, drink, or harvest a plant you cannot name.