---
name: Yohimbe
molecule: C21H26N2O3
compound: "Yohimbine"
era: Ancient
origin: Congo, Cameroon
archetype: Chicago Detroit
ancestor: Gabon
swag_score: 4
image: "https://assets.0xhoneyjar.xyz/Mibera/traits/chicagodetroit_gabon_yohimbe.webp"
date_added: "2025-01-12"
---

<div align="center">
  <img src="https://assets.0xhoneyjar.xyz/Mibera/traits/chicagodetroit_gabon_yohimbe.webp" alt="Yohimbe" width="320" />
</div>


# Yohimbe

## Effects & Properties

**Effects:** Mild stimulation, increased alertness, and heightened arousal.
May enhance mood and energy.

**Natural Occurrence:** Traditionally, yohimbe bark is used in
African medicine for sexual enhancement, energy, and fever treatment. Native to Central and
West Africa, Yohimbe contains Yohimbine in its bark.
**Appearance:** Yohimbe has dark green
leaves, small yellowish flowers, and grayish-brown bark. Dried Yohimbe bark appears as
reddish-brown to dark brown strips or powder with bitter, earthy odor.

## History

Yohimbe bark has been used for centuries by the Bantu-speaking peoples of West and Central Africa, particularly in Cameroon, Nigeria, and Gabon, as an aphrodisiac and stimulant consumed during extended courtship rituals and hunting expeditions. The active alkaloid yohimbine was first isolated by German chemist Adolph Spiegel in 1896, and it became one of the first pharmacologically studied aphrodisiacs. In modern times, yohimbine has been marketed as a natural supplement for sexual dysfunction and athletic performance, and it was the only FDA-approved treatment for erectile dysfunction before the advent of sildenafil (Viagra) in 1998.

## Connections

**Archetype:** [Chicago Detroit](../../../core-lore/archetypes.md#chicago-detroit)

**Ancestor:** [Gabon](../../../core-lore/ancestors/gabon.md)


## Sources

- https://erowid.org/plants/yohimbe/yohimbe.shtml
- https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Yohimbine
- https://www.drugs.com/npp/yohimbe.html
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yohimbine
- [Corynanthe johimbe - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corynanthe_johimbe)
- [A literature perspective on the pharmacological applications of yohimbine - PMC](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9590431/)
- [Yohimbe - NCCIH](https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/yohimbe)
- [Yohimbine as a treatment for erectile dysfunction: A systematic review and meta-analysis - PMC](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9612744/)