Henna, also known as Lawsonia Inermis or mignonette, is a heavily scented tree or shrub that may grow up to twenty feet tall. It blooms with small, fragrant, pink white, yellow, or red flowers, and produces blue-black berries. The fragrance of the flowers is sweet with a slightly musky scent. This plant grows best in hot weather where there is little moisture. It is native to the Middle East, North Africa, and the Indo-Pak subcontinent. Only a few countries export their henna while others grow theirs for local commercial use. (Photos from mytho-fleurs.com and sandmountainherbs.com)

The part of the plant most widely used is the leaf, and these are cultivated during the plant’s growing seasons and dried. According to Juliette de Bairacli Levy, “The whole shrub, skin of roots, bark of trunk and branches, and fresh berries yield henna, the alcanna of the Arabs. This herb is extremely penetrative and therefore a very effective and very popular dye.” (Levy; 78) Chemically, henna is known to contain coumarins, naphthoquinones (including lawsone), flavenoids, sterols, and tannins. (Chevalier; 225).
Then once the leaves are dried they are ground up very fine. Then once ground they are sifted many times to make a pure, fine henna powder. Once this henna powder is ready it is made into a paste, which is used on hair or on skin. It typically dyes the skin, or hair, an orange to cherry red and brown tones. (Photos from maroc.net)

This plant grows best in hot weather where there is little moisture. It is native to the Middle East, North Africa, and the Indo-Pak subcontinent. Only a few countries export their henna, while others grow theirs for local commercial use. (Photos below courtesy of Henna Sooq and Digital Flora of Texas: DO NOT COPY)

Any henna paste that looks black or dyes black is usually not true natural henna. This henna usually contains PPD (para-phenylenediamine), which is very toxic and has been found to cause serious health problems. We are very happy that its use is illegal here in Canada and we hope that other countries will make it illegal as well. Please read more about black henna here: Black Henna Warning