# enchanter's-nightshade (*Circaea lutetiana*)

Enchanter's nightshade is a lovely little plant that grows in shady places. It has delicate white flowers that look like tiny stars and can be found in forests and woodlands.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Forests

![enchanter's-nightshade](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/408962444/medium.jpeg)

Photo: Luke Lythgoe, CC BY 4.0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/408962444)

## Appearance

The enchanter's-nightshade is a delicate woodland plant with slender stems and bright green, ovate leaves. Its tiny white or pale pink flowers have two deeply notched petals, giving them a four-petal appearance, and grow in loose clusters.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Myrtales
- **Family:** Onagraceae
- **Genus:** Circaea

## Interesting facts

- Despite its name, it's not related to the poisonous deadly nightshade!
- It can thrive in deep shade, where many other plants struggle to grow!
- It often forms green carpets across the forest floor in damp, shady spots!
- Its name comes from Circe, a powerful Greek goddess of magic!

## Special abilities

- **Underground Explorer:** This plant can spread using underground stems called rhizomes, helping it form dense colonies and take over new patches of ground.
- **Shade Seeker:** Enchanter's-nightshade has broad, thin leaves that help it capture sunlight efficiently in the dim light of dense forest floors.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 20-70 cm
- **Spread:** 15-30 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.2-0.4 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer (June-August)
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** drone fly (*Eristalis tenax*) — Attracted to its small, white flowers.
- **Pollinates:** honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits flowers for nectar.
- **Depends on:** [red fox](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-fox) (*Vulpes vulpes*) — Carries its hooked seeds on fur for dispersal.

## Traits

- [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons.
- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight.
- [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.
- [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't touch wild plants unless a grown-up says it's okay.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify enchanter's-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 enchanter's-nightshade?

20-70 cm

### How wide does enchanter's-nightshade spread?

15-30 cm

### How big are the flowers on enchanter's-nightshade?

0.2-0.4 cm

### When does enchanter's-nightshade bloom?

Summer (June-August)

### Is enchanter's-nightshade edible?

No

### Is enchanter's-nightshade toxic?

None

### What is enchanter's-nightshade's lifecycle?

Perennial

## 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*)

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Source: [Enchanter's-nightshade: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/enchanters-nightshade)