# black nightshade (*Solanum nigrum*) Black nightshade is a plant with small, round black berries and green leaves. It grows in many places and can be found in gardens and fields. Be careful, as not all parts of the plant are safe to eat! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 3/5 · Moderate - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Urban areas - **Also known as:** Black Berry ![black nightshade](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/199968095/medium.jpeg) Photo: no rights reserved, uploaded by 葉子, CC0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/199968095) ## Appearance The black nightshade is a bushy plant with small, star-shaped white flowers and bright yellow centers. Its distinctive round berries start green, ripening to a glossy black, often appearing in clusters. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Solanales - **Family:** Solanaceae - **Genus:** Solanum ## Interesting facts - Its leaves are sometimes eaten as a vegetable, but ONLY if cooked! - Some closely related plants are potatoes and tomatoes! - The 'nightshade' name comes from its dark, ripe berries! - This plant is found on almost every continent in the world! ## Special abilities - **Toxic Shield:** Black nightshade can produce a compound called solanine that makes its unripe berries bitter and toxic, helping it defend against herbivores. - **Berry Spreader:** Black nightshade has dark, ripe berries that attract birds, who eat them and help spread its seeds far and wide, aiding reproduction. - **Tough Colonizer:** Black nightshade can grow rapidly and thrive in disturbed soils, helping it quickly colonize open ground and outcompete other plants. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-120 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer-fall - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Moderate - **Lifecycle:** Annual - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar and pollen from its small flowers - **Eaten by:** [American robin](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-robin) (*Turdus migratorius*) — consumes ripe black berries, aiding seed dispersal - **Eats:** [Colorado potato beetle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/colorado-potato-beetle) (*Leptinotarsa decemlineata*) — may feed on its leaves as it's a host plant - **Parasitizes:** Early blight fungus (*Alternaria solani*) — can cause leaf spot and blight, affecting plant health ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health. - [Agricultural](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/agricultural): This human use trait describes species cultivated or domesticated by humans for agricultural purposes, including crops and livestock. - [Toxic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/toxic): Toxic organisms contain substances that are poisonous and can cause adverse effects upon exposure. - [Poisonous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/poisonous): Poisonous organisms produce toxins that can cause harm when ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through contact. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 3/5 · Moderate Do not eat any part of this plant without asking an adult first, as it can be harmful. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify black nightshade? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is black nightshade? 30-120 cm ### How big are the flowers on black nightshade? 0.5-1 cm ### When does black nightshade bloom? Summer-fall ### Is black nightshade edible? No ### Is black nightshade toxic? Moderate ### What is black nightshade's lifecycle? Annual ### How is black nightshade pollinated? Insect ## Where to spot - [Skandinavisk Dyrepark](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/skandinavisk-dyrepark) — Central Denmark Region, DK · Zoo ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Black Nightshade: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-nightshade)