Lion's Ear

Also called

Lion's Ears, Lions Ear

Regional names

Shandilay

Traditional use

These are traditional uses, not proven treatments.

• In a 2007–2008 survey of 450 households in rural Trinidad, about 30% of people named lion's ear (shandilay) as a remedy for colds and coughs. That was enough to count it as a popular, established use.

  People also used it for:

  • Fever
  • Asthma
  • Diabetes
  • As a "cooling" or cleansing remedy

  [2]

  Technical detail: 85 of 89 citations were for common cold and cough (30.5% of informants), above the TRAMIL 20% threshold for significant use. Leaves taken by mouth as an infusion, a decoction, or juice pounded out with salt.

• Widely used for medicine in its native range of tropical Africa and southern India.[3]

Laboratory & animal research

Lab and animal results show what might be worth studying in people. They don't show that the herb has these effects in humans.

• A 2018 review of 32 lab and animal studies reported that lion's ear extracts may fight bacteria, viruses and fungi, may help reduce inflammation, and act as antioxidants. They also showed effects against seizures and anxiety. The review didn't report any studies in people.[3]

  Technical detail: antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticonvulsant, anxiolytic and anticarcinogenic activity; main compounds are labdane and bis-spirolabdane diterpenes, flavonoids, fatty acids and esters, iridoids, phenylethanoid glycosides and coumarins.

• In a 2025 study on zebrafish embryos, extracts of lion's ear flowers were toxic and caused developmental defects. The authors say the plant's possible risks need careful study.[1]

  Technical detail: 96-hour exposure to a methanol extract and its n-hexane and ethyl acetate fractions; the methanol extract and ethyl acetate fraction were toxic, the ethyl acetate fraction markedly embryotoxic and teratogenic. Verbascoside was isolated from the flowers.