purple nightshade
ExplorePlants
purple nightshade
Solanum xanti
Purple nightshade is a beautiful plant with purple flowers and shiny berries. It grows in sunny places and is often found in gardens and wild areas. Be careful, as some parts of the plant can be harmful!
Habitat: Urban areas
Appearance
The purple nightshade has vivid purple, star-shaped flowers with five petals that curve back, revealing bright yellow cone-shaped anthers at their center. Its leaves are dull green and oval, often fuzzy, supporting clusters of small, shiny green berries that ripen to black.
KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderSolanalesFamilySolanaceaeGenusSolanum
Category
PlantsRarity
Common
Danger
3/5 · Moderate
Snaps
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Interesting facts
Despite being purple, it's related to tasty tomatoes and potatoes!
Its stunning flowers can only release pollen through a bee's special 'buzz!'
Purple nightshade is tough; it can grow in many places where other plants struggle.
The pretty dark berries might look yummy, but they are extremely poisonous!
Special abilities
Ability
Buzz Pollination
Purple nightshade can vibrate its flowers using a special 'buzz pollination' technique, helping it release pollen for hungry bees.
Ability
Berry Broadcast
Purple nightshade produces tempting dark berries, which help it reproduce by being eaten and dispersed by birds to new locations.
Measurements & details
- Height
- 30-100 cm
- Spread
- 30-100 cm
- Flower Size
- 1.5-3 cm
- Bloom Season
- Spring to Fall
- Edible
- No
- Toxicity
- High
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Pollination Method
- Insect
Ecological connections
pollinates
Vosnesensky Bumble Bee
Bombus vosnesenskii
Buzz-pollinates its flowers.
eats
Tobacco Hornworm
Manduca sexta
Larvae feed on its leaves.
eaten by
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Eats berries, dispersing seeds.
Traits
Flowering
Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
Shrub
A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground.
Fruit Bearing
Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds.
Medicinal
Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health.
Colorful
Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
Pollinator Magnet
Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
Poisonous
Poisonous organisms produce toxins that can cause harm when ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through contact.
Urban Friendly
This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces.
Also known as
No aliases listed yet.
Collections
Safety
Danger
3/5 · Moderate
Do not touch or eat the berries, as they can make you feel sick.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall is purple nightshade?
30-100 cm
How wide does purple nightshade spread?
30-100 cm
How big are the flowers on purple nightshade?
1.5-3 cm
When does purple nightshade bloom?
Spring to Fall
Is purple nightshade edible?
No
Is purple nightshade toxic?
High
What is purple nightshade's lifecycle?
Perennial
How is purple nightshade pollinated?
Insect
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