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Corynanthe johimbe
Yohimbe is a species of evergreen tree from lowland forests of western and central Africa, grown mainly for its bark, which is used for traditional medicine and supplements. It is a forest tree rather than a garden plant, and it is rarely cultivated as a houseplant.
Corynanthe johimbe, synonym Pausinystalia johimbe, common name yohimbe, is a plant species in the family Rubiaceae native to western and central Africa (Nigeria, Cabinda, Cameroon, Congo-Brazzaville, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea).
Extracts from yohimbe have been used in traditional medicine in West Africa as an aphrodisiac, and have been marketed in developed countries as dietary supplements. The extracts and supplements have no proven effectiveness and pose safety concerns due to variable yohimbine levels and potential adverse effects, such as hypertension and insomnia.
The wood and bark are used for firewood and construction. Bark – the most commercially important product – is used in extractions to make tinctures for traditional medicine and dietary supplements.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Corynanthe johimbe by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
