Index of Herbs

Concern guide

Herbs for ADHD

What research shows about herbs for ADHD, from saffron and ginkgo’s small trials to calming herbs, and how to use them safely.

8 herbs reviewed

Updated October 9, 2026

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is one of the most common reasons children see a pediatrician. In the 2022 National Survey of Children’s Health, about 1 in 9 U.S. children aged 3 to 17, some 7.1 million, had ever been diagnosed, and for many it continues into adulthood. Standard care works well for most children. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends parent training in behavior management and classroom support first for preschoolers, and FDA-approved medicine together with behavioral support from age 6. NCCIH notes that stimulant medicines help roughly 70 to 80 percent of children who take them.

Many families still look at herbs, often because a stimulant dulled a child’s appetite or sleep, because medicine did not help enough, or because they would prefer something natural. Herbs have a modest place here at best. A handful have small, short trials with encouraging results, led by saffron and ginkgo, while St. John’s wort did no better than placebo in a well-designed trial and is left off the list below. No herb has been shown to work as well as standard treatment, and two systematic reviews of herbal trials in children concluded that no firm recommendations can be made. When side effects are the problem, the prescriber can often solve them by adjusting the dose, timing or medicine.

The list starts with the herbs that have the most clinical research for ADHD, moves on to traditional calming herbs, and ends with chamomile, which has only traditional use. Each rating applies to ADHD only, and almost all of the research is in children. Most trials lasted six to eight weeks, involved fewer than 60 children and compared an herb with methylphenidate rather than with placebo, so any herb is best tried alongside standard care, one at a time, and with your child’s clinician involved.

02 The shortlist

The herbs, from best studied to time-honored

How to read the ratings

  • Good clinical evidence
  • Promising clinical evidence
  • Early or mixed evidence
  • Long traditional use

Ratings show how much research backs each herb for this particular concern. Every herb links to its full monograph, with preparations, safety notes, and sources.

  1. 01 Saffron

    Early or mixed evidence

    Crocus sativus

    Saffron, the costly spice from the stigmas of Crocus sativus, has the most interesting ADHD result so far. In a six-week pilot trial in Iran, 54 children aged 6 to 17 took saffron capsules (20 to 30 mg a day, depending on weight) or methylphenidate, and parent and teacher ratings improved similarly in both groups. The trial had no placebo group and has not been confirmed in a larger study. Cooking amounts are safe and trial doses were well tolerated, but gram quantities are toxic, and saffron is one of the most often adulterated spices.

    Read the saffron monograph →

  2. 02 Ginkgo

    Early or mixed evidence

    Ginkgo biloba

    Ginkgo leaf extract has two small pediatric trials pointing in different directions. In a six-week trial of 50 children, ginkgo at 80 to 120 mg a day worked less well than methylphenidate. In a later trial, 60 children already taking methylphenidate improved more on parent-rated inattention with added ginkgo than with placebo. A 2017 systematic review called the evidence limited, and NCCIH judges it insufficient to support ginkgo for ADHD. Ginkgo can increase bleeding risk and interacts with some medicines, so it should not be added without the prescriber’s knowledge.

    Read the ginkgo monograph →

  3. 03 Bacopa

    Early or mixed evidence

    Bacopa monnieri

    Bacopa, the Ayurvedic brahmi, is best studied for memory in adults, and early uncontrolled reports in children with ADHD were encouraging. The best pediatric trial, published in 2022, gave a standardized extract (160 to 320 mg a day) or placebo to 112 boys aged 6 to 14 with inattention and hyperactivity for 14 weeks, and bacopa did not improve ADHD behavior ratings, though fewer errors on some cognitive tests need confirming. It often causes stomach upset and may affect thyroid hormone. The name brahmi also covers gotu kola, so check for the Latin name Bacopa monnieri.

    Read the bacopa monograph →

  4. 04 Passionflower

    Early or mixed evidence

    Passiflora incarnata

    Passionflower is a traditional calming herb from the Americas, better known for anxiety and sleep. In an eight-week trial of 34 children with ADHD, passionflower tablets and methylphenidate improved parent and teacher ratings by similar amounts, with less appetite loss and nervousness in the passionflower group. With no placebo group and so few children, a 2017 systematic review rated the evidence low quality. Passionflower can cause drowsiness and dizziness and adds to the effect of other sedating medicines.

    Read the passionflower monograph →

  5. 05 Lemon Balm

    Early or mixed evidence

    Melissa officinalis

    Lemon balm is a gentle, lemon-scented member of the mint family, traditionally used for restlessness and often paired with valerian. A 2017 systematic review rated its evidence for ADHD low quality. The study most often quoted, a four-month trial in Israel, tested a proprietary multi-herb product containing lemon balm, ashwagandha, gotu kola, bacopa and other ingredients and reported better attention test scores, but it was a single trial with unequal groups and cannot show what lemon balm adds on its own. It is usually well tolerated, though it can cause drowsiness.

    Read the lemon balm monograph →

  6. 06 Valerian

    Early or mixed evidence

    Valeriana officinalis

    Valerian root is a time-honored sleep herb. Its ADHD evidence is very thin: a 2017 systematic review rated it low quality, and the main trial was a two-week pilot of homeopathic valerian preparations in 30 children, ten in each group; NCCIH notes there is no evidence that homeopathic products help ADHD. For a child with ADHD, valerian is more likely to help as part of a bedtime routine than with daytime focus. It can cause morning grogginess, headache and stomach upset, and adds to the effects of antihistamines and other sedating medicines.

    Read the valerian monograph →

  7. 07 Ginseng

    Early or mixed evidence

    Panax ginseng

    Ginseng is a classic tonic root. Korean red ginseng, and a combination of American ginseng with ginkgo, have each been tested in single small studies in children with ADHD, with encouraging but inconclusive results. Ginseng can be stimulating and may disturb sleep, which stimulant medicines already affect, and it can lower blood sugar and interacts with warfarin, so it is not a casual addition for a child.

    Read the ginseng monograph →

  8. 08 Chamomile

    Long traditional use

    Matricaria chamomilla

    Chamomile is one of the gentlest and most familiar calming teas, long given to restless children at bedtime. It has not been studied for ADHD and does not treat inattention or hyperactivity, but a cup of weak chamomile tea can be a pleasant part of a calm bedtime routine for an older child. Children allergic to ragweed or other plants in the daisy family can react to it.

    Read the chamomile monograph →

03 Caution

Using these herbs safely

Herbs belong alongside ADHD care, not in place of it. Do not stop or reduce a prescribed medicine without the prescriber: symptoms usually return quickly when a stimulant stops, which can affect school, relationships and safety, including for teenagers who drive. If poor appetite or trouble sleeping is the reason for looking at herbs, raise it with the prescriber first, because changing the dose, timing or medicine often helps. ADHD often travels with anxiety, depression, learning disorders or sleep problems, and a careful evaluation, not a supplement, is the way to sort out what is driving a child’s difficulties.

Tell your child’s clinician and pharmacist about every supplement. Ginkgo adds to bleeding risk, particularly with anticoagulants, aspirin and other NSAIDs, and should be stopped before surgery. St. John’s wort, sometimes sold for mood and focus, interacts with many medicines, including some antidepressants and the hormonal contraceptives some teenagers use, and makes skin more sensitive to sunlight. Passionflower, valerian and lemon balm add to the drowsiness of antihistamines and other sedating medicines. Ginseng can be stimulating, can lower blood sugar and interacts with warfarin, and bacopa may interact with thyroid hormone.

In the United States, the FDA does not review dietary supplements for safety or effectiveness before they are sold, and long-term studies of herbs in children are almost nonexistent, so a missing warning label means less is known rather than less risk. Product quality varies widely: a 2023 DNA study found that only 22 to 56 percent of market brahmi products contained the expected plants, an analysis of Ayurvedic medicines sold online found lead, mercury or arsenic in about 1 in 5, and saffron is often adulterated. Choose single-herb products that give the Latin name and carry a USP Verified or NSF Certified seal, and avoid anything that claims to cure ADHD.

If you decide to try an herb alongside standard care, use one at a time, ideally the extract and dose used in trials, and ask your clinician and your child’s teacher to fill in the same ADHD rating scale before you start and after six to eight weeks, the length of most trials. Watch for changes in sleep, appetite, mood, stomach upset, bruising or rashes, and stop if no clear benefit appears by then. None of these herbs should be given to a child without a pediatrician’s advice, and the calming herbs are best kept for the evening.

04 Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Not on current evidence. Stimulant medicines have large, consistent benefits across many trials, while herbs have a handful of small, short trials, mostly from single research centers. Saffron and passionflower each matched methylphenidate in one small trial, but neither result has been confirmed in a larger, placebo-controlled study.

One six-week trial of 54 children found similar improvement with saffron and methylphenidate, the medicine in Ritalin. Without a placebo group, a larger sample or a confirming trial, that result is a reason for more research rather than a reason to switch treatments.

No. In a well-designed eight-week trial published in JAMA, 54 children and teens took a standardized St. John’s wort extract or placebo, and ADHD symptoms improved by about the same amount in both groups. It also interacts with many medicines and makes skin more sensitive to sunlight, so there is no good reason to use it for ADHD.

Sometimes, but check with the prescriber or a pharmacist first. St. John’s wort interacts with many medicines, ginkgo may increase bleeding risk, and calming herbs such as valerian can add to drowsiness. Even gentle herbs can change sleep or appetite, which stimulants already affect.

A cup of chamomile tea can be part of a calming bedtime routine for an older child, though it is not a treatment for insomnia. If your child struggles to sleep, especially while taking a stimulant, talk with the prescriber, because adjusting the medicine’s timing or dose often helps. Melatonin may help children with ADHD fall asleep, but its long-term safety in children is uncertain, so use it only with your clinician’s guidance. Our guide to herbs for sleep covers the evidence for rest.

The evidence is mixed. Omega-3 fatty acids are the most studied supplement for ADHD, and NCCIH describes the results as inconclusive: some trials show modest improvements, but omega-3s are less effective than stimulant medicine, and a 2023 Cochrane review found high-certainty evidence of no effect on parent-rated ADHD symptoms. They are generally safe at usual doses, so some families try them alongside standard care with their clinician’s agreement.

Research on herbs for adult ADHD is even thinner than for children. Adults should be wary of products claiming to boost focus, many of which combine caffeine with stimulant-like ingredients. Effective medical and psychological treatments exist for adults, and a clinician can help weigh them. Our guide to herbs for memory and focus covers the evidence for bacopa, ginkgo and others in adults.

05 References

Sources

These references support the claims in this guide. Each herb’s monograph carries its own full source list.

  1. ADHD prevalence among U.S. children and adolescents in 2022: diagnosis, severity, co-occurring disorders, and treatment

    Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (PubMed 38778436), 2024

    Source of the figures that about 1 in 9 U.S. children aged 3 to 17, some 7.1 million, had ever been diagnosed with ADHD.

  2. Clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents

    Pediatrics, American Academy of Pediatrics (PubMed 31570648), 2019

    Supports the age-based treatment recommendations: behavioral treatment first for preschoolers, and FDA-approved medicine with behavioral support from age 6.

  3. ADHD and Complementary Health Approaches: What the Science Says

    National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH), 2023

    Supports the statements that the evidence is insufficient to support ginkgo for ADHD and that omega-3 results are inconclusive and weaker than stimulant medicine.

  4. Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder at a Glance

    National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH), 2019

    Notes that stimulant medicine helps 70 to 80 percent of children with ADHD, that research on St. John’s wort and ginkgo has not shown benefit, and that there is no evidence homeopathic products help.

  5. Herbal medicines in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): a systematic review

    Complementary Therapies in Medicine (PubMed 28137522), 2017

    Nine randomized trials in 464 children: low-quality evidence for lemon balm, valerian and passionflower, limited evidence for pine bark and ginkgo, and no concrete recommendations possible.

  6. Herbal medicines in the treatment of children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): an updated systematic review of clinical trials

    Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine (PubMed 37663386), 2023

    An updated review of herbal trials in children that reached a similar conclusion: small, short trials and no firm recommendations.

  7. Crocus sativus L. versus methylphenidate in treatment of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a randomized, double-blind pilot study

    Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology (PubMed 30741567), 2019

    Supports the mixed rating for saffron: in 54 children over six weeks, saffron and methylphenidate improved ADHD ratings similarly, in a pilot trial without a placebo group.

  8. Ginkgo biloba for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents: a double blind, randomized controlled trial

    Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry (PubMed 19815048), 2010

    The six-week trial in which ginkgo was less effective than methylphenidate in 50 children.

  9. Ginkgo biloba in the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial

    Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice (PubMed 25925875), 2015

    Supports the mixed rating for ginkgo: added to methylphenidate, ginkgo improved parent-rated inattention more than placebo.

  10. Effects of Bacopa monnieri (CDRI 08) in a population of males exhibiting inattention and hyperactivity aged 6 to 14 years: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

    Phytotherapy Research (PubMed 35041248), 2022

    The 14-week, 112-boy trial in which bacopa did not improve ADHD behavior ratings compared with placebo.

  11. Passiflora incarnata in the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents

    Therapy, 2005

    Supports the mixed rating for passionflower: in 34 children over eight weeks, passionflower and methylphenidate improved parent and teacher ratings similarly, with no placebo group.

  12. A pilot study on the efficacy of Valeriana officinalis mother tincture and Valeriana officinalis 3X in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

    Health SA Gesondheid, 2012

    The two-week pilot of homeopathic valerian preparations in 30 children aged 5 to 11, the main ADHD trial of valerian.

  13. Hypericum perforatum (St John’s wort) for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents: a randomized controlled trial

    JAMA (PubMed 18544723), 2008

    The eight-week placebo-controlled trial in 54 children and teens in which St. John’s wort did no better than placebo, the reason it is not listed here.

  14. Comprehensive analysis using DNA metabarcoding, SCAR marker based PCR assay, and HPLC unveils the adulteration in Brahmi herbal products

    Molecular Biology Reports (PubMed 37532919), 2023

    Found that only 22 to 56 percent of market brahmi products contained the expected plants.

  15. Lead, mercury, and arsenic in US- and Indian-manufactured Ayurvedic medicines sold via the Internet

    JAMA (PubMed 18728265), 2008

    Found detectable lead, mercury or arsenic in about 1 in 5 Ayurvedic medicines bought online.

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