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How to Identify Nightshade Berries

The Nightshade family of plants (Solanaceae) has some poisonous members, while also containing important crop plants such as the potato, tomato and bell pepper. Two prominent members of the family are typically referred to as "nightshade," the common nightshade (Solanum ptychanthum) and the bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara). They produce berries that contain the toxin solanine, an alkaloid that loses its toxicity as the berries ripen, notes the "National Audubon Society Field Guide to Wildflowers." Eating large quantities of the unripe berries is potentially fatal, making it wise to know how to identify them to avoid such a fate.

Instructions

- 1
  Observe the location of the plant. Common nightshade is a native North American leafy plant, growing to 30 inches high in open woodlands and disturbed areas. Bittersweet nightshade, introduced from Europe but spread across much of North America, is a woody vine that climbs upon other plants, growing to 8 feet in clearings and thickets. Common nightshade occurs from Alberta, Canada eastward to New Brunswick and then southward to Florida. Its distribution extends from North Dakota to Texas, with some western states possessing isolated pockets of this plant's range. Bittersweet nightshade has a similar range, but is absent from parts of the Gulf Coast and Texas.
- 2
  Examine the flowers of these nightshade varieties. Common nightshade flowers resemble small, white stars, with the petals curving backwards. They are 3/8 inch wide, possess five petals and have a center composed of yellow anthers that extend forward. The flowers of the bittersweet nightshade are somewhat similar, but they are slightly larger at ½ inch wide, with five backward-curving, purple petals surrounding the cone of yellow anthers.
- 3
  Note the blooming time. Common nightshade blooms from June through November, while bittersweet nightshade has a shorter window to flower, from May through September. The berries then develop from the flowers.
- 4
  Inspect the fruits of these nightshades, looking for berries that start out green but then change colors as they ripen. Common nightshade's berries are round. When ripe, these fruits are shiny and black. Bittersweet nightshade's ripened berries resemble miniature tomatoes, hanging in bright red clusters from the vines.

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