Black Nightshade berries are only edible when ripe. S. nigrum or black nightshade is native to Eurasia and introduced in the Americas, Australasia, and South Africa. When I lived in Wyoming, Huckleberries (they looked like the Solanum melanocerasum offered in seed catalogs) grew wild and were picked and made into pies. Allergies to nightshade plants are considered very rare. Solanum nigrum Description Popular name(s): Black Nightshade, Hound's Berry, Petty Morel Botanical name: Solanum nigrum Family: Solanaceae Origin: Asia, Europe, North Africa Edible… It has a tendency to pop up. It grows in a temperate climate It grows up to One Meter. Unripe (green) fruit of Solanum nigrum does contain solanine and should be avoided, but the ripe fruit is perfectly edible and quite delicious. Is this the same as “wonderberries”? Solanum nigrum has various other names such as black nightshade, Indian nightshade, European black nightshade solanum, garden huckleberry, Kakamachi, duscle, wonder berry, petty morel and hound’s berry. I have this in my horse pasture I tasted a berry today and it was very sweet and was like a Blue Berry. American Black Nightshade berries and leaves are traditionally eaten by Native Americans as well as modern cultures in Central American communities. This cures stomach ailments. It belongs to Solanaceae family. Copyright © 2015. I don’t recommend eating it raw. The leaves are boiled in salt water for hours before consumption. Prepare some water with a pinch of salt, heat the water and keep it at a simmer. I found this plant in my garden and was always wondering whether the fruits are edible. I’ve never tried the leaves. If it didn’t try to grow in all the best spots I’d leave it for garden snacking. I’ve even read they they are superior tasting to the Black Night Shade…If that’s the case, STAY AWAY because the wonderberries are not wonderful! The black nightshades are sprawling plants whose foliage and flowers evoke that of potatoes or tomatoes, but the leaves are simple rather than compound. Black Nightshade leaves and stems are also toxic when raw (they are edible when cooked properly, and in some parts of the world are considered a staple vegetable, but that is a … Black Nightshade … It just came up in my garden – no idea where from. Some of the uses ascribed to S. nigrum in literature may actually apply to other black nightshade species within the same species complex, and proper species identification is essential for food and medicinal uses (See Taxonomy section). The term nightshade is often associated with poisonous species, though the genus also contains a number of economically important food crops, including tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), We have a ton of it growing in ourTomato bed right now; I’ll have to harvest the ripe berries and make a dessert!!! But it looks more like the one I have, I think. Bakula – An Indian Tree with Interesting Properties(Mimusops elengi), Inside The National Rose Garden Delhi – India, Norfolk Island Pine – How to Care Indoor Norfolk Island Pine Tree, 16 Types of Summer Flowers in India – With Pictures, Botanical Garden Kolkata – Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose( India ), Your Handy Guide to Parlor Palm Plant Care: Palm Plants. I’ll try to figure it out. Black nightshades of the Solanum nigrum complex have simple, alternate leaves that are roughly triangular or diamond-shaped, lobed or wavy-margined, and often bug-eaten. The leaves are also edible and may be prepared as a vegetable green on their own or added to soup and stews. It was funny that it just popped up. I’d not heard of americanum, so went looking and found this great article: http://www.eattheweeds.com/american-nightshade-a-much-maligned-edible/. Comments: The berries of Black Nightshade (Solanum ptycanthum) are probably edible to humans, if they are fully ripe and eaten in small quantities. So I guessed a Chinese name and searched on the internet. A Chinese research has established that the plant has anti-carcinogenic properties and it successfully inhibited the growth of cervical carcinoma in mice. Eaten as a fruit or vegetable, the fruit can also be dried, ground into a powder and used with cereals for making bread etc. All is all, solanum is a tricky family, and needs to be approached with great care. Black nightshade (S. nigrum) is found along the Pacific coast. ahh dammit. Eastern black nightshade is a native annual nightshade found in forests, swamps and beaches. I’ve had these pop up in my garden a lot lately…I tasted it and decided it wasn’t worth the space it was trying to take from the basil. Lots of Central American people in my community garden grow it in their plots — apparently the leaves are very high in iron… They say the berries are poisonous, but good to hear they aren’t! When the plant is mature the leaves look rather like tomato leaves. But Pascal left a link to an excellent article by author and forager Sam Thayer that puts in the nail in the coffin of the myth that Solanum nigrum is poisonous. In parts of the US Solanum nigrum berries are made into pies. Facts. I believe this plant to be misunderstood, as was its originally-feared cousin in the nightshade family, the tomato. woe is me. Seems like it could substitute for spinach. Local lore there said that they were originally planted by the Germans from Russia, who settled in the area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Hi, I just wanted to say that my boyfriend is Guatemalan and he makes soup made from solanum nigrum, in spanish the plant is called yerba mora. Edible Uses The ripe fruit of cut-leaved nightshade is edible raw or cooked. The second lesson is the importance of using scientific not popular names when describing plants. Nightshade, (genus Solanum), genus of about 2,300 species of flowering plants in the nightshade family (Solanaceae). I thought it smelled like cerise de terre, so I assumed it was some kind of tomato-related plant. but I do not know if I should eat it. However, certain poisonous varieties, such as black henbane, mandrake, and deadly belladonna, can cause skin irritation and rashes when touched. Fruit is a ¼ to 1/3-inch round berry that ripens to shiny black. Hmmm… only found out the name of this vegetable last month so decided to look it up. Are you kidding me?? It is dark green and bushy in its appearence with many branches and can grow to over 1m in height.The plant produces many small white flowers and round green to black berries (green berries are NOT edible). Black nightshade is a common herb or short-lived perennial shrub, found in many wooded areas, as well as disturbed habitats. Originally, black nightshade was called “petit (small) morel” to distinguish it from the more poisonous species, deadly nightshade, that is known as “great morel.” As Thayer puts it, “myths of toxicity are commonplace (in fact, I’d argue that they are a universal feature of human culture) while myths of edibility are exceedingly rare, since they are soon discredited.” I strongly suspect that there are many other plants wrongly accused of toxicity. I personally never tried it. I almost ripped out the plant because I have small children and so do all my friends. And remember that "the dosage makes the poison". I have a Kenyan friend who told me they used to cook it over two weeks by boiling it twice a day and every time adding a little bit of cream or milk to it. Diuretic in Cardiac Dropsy. Maybe it’ll pop up again next year…. These have popped up in my yard (not sure if my dad purposefully planted them or not) and for the longest time I thought they were deadly nightshade and kept pulling them up. It was used as spinach, though with a bitter and strong flavour and suitable for eating only after boiling for hours. Under cultivation leaves and stem tops are regularly harvested. Its actually my favorite green of all time! I think I just pulled a bunch of this out today. Black nightshade has tiny white flowers. According to Chinese herbal medicine, the whole plant is edible and good to our body and health. In Ayurveda, the ancient science of medicine, use the plant to treat chronic ailments too like liver diseases, dental cavities, headache, rodent bites, fever, splenomegaly and vitiligo. However, ripe berries and cooked leaves of edible strains are used as food in some locales, and plant parts are used as a traditional medicine. I personally have no experience with the culinary use of the leaves or stems, and would not engage without learning at the feet of an experienced cook. They consistently report solanum toxins to be present in these plants, including S. nigrum. You only eat the young tender leaves, not the berry or the flowers and you must cook it! Correction to my earlier comment–Wikipedia says the americanum one is poisonous and has killed children. Young leaves and new shoots - raw or cooked as a potherb or added to soups [2, 27, 85, 89, 173, 179, 183]. I understand that this is called “Kashi Soppu” in our part of the world i.e. Black Nightshade is a plant. We were always told to stay away from the green berries as it caused vomiting and diarrhea , and the indigenous people ccoked the leaf tips as a vegetable but it was bitter and felt slimey like snot. The two plants are very commonly confused. They taste well and i am live, posting image. It is a huge family with several toxic members. Ethnic/Cultural Info The berries and the leaves of the Black Nightshade plant were a crucial food source and an important natural medicine for early Native American tribes including the Cherokee, Iroquois and Costanoan Indians. Your Guide to Self-Sufficient Living in the Heart of the City, Radical Home Ec for a Post-Consumer World, Nasturtium Flower and Pistachio Pesto: a story in pictures, Wild Food Lab: Foraging Taken to the Next Level, 087 Foraging Controversy with Lisa Novick, From the Archives: That Time Kelly Accidentally Ate Hemlock. The fruits are black when ripe, and while it is commonly believed the entire plant is toxic, this species has edible parts when gathered at the correct time and/or prepared properly. Bangalore, Karnataka, India and has medicinal properties. Bear in mind that this is from rural rural Kenia where there are no fridges. Remember that tomatoes were long thought poisonous, in part due to similarities in appearance to Atropa belladonna, and associations with witchcraft. A recipe that takes two weeks–amazing! In Indian states such as Southern Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Southern Karnataka, the berries are usually referred to as fragrant tomato and used in cooking. I found the exact photos of the plant. Green berries contain the toxic alkaloid, solanum, like the foliage. What we do is pick the plant, leaves and stem only, then wash them. The berries were not ripe yet, but everything else looks exactly the same. It is good central Americans use in soup, like spinach is called MORA or Yerva mora,. However, while the latter is very poisonous, S.nigrum has rarely been proved fatal. Two lessons here. Not all Solanum species have edible berries, even when ripe. that occur in Illinois. Do you ever eat the leaves? In ancient India, the plant was used to treat tuberculosis, jaundice, rat bites and mouth ulcers. Ayurveda refers to the fruits as a ‘dangerous medicine’ and prescribes it as an appetite stimulant and a tonic. Its fruit is called berry, which is small and shiny. I’ll have to sit down and look carefully at what we have. Welcome. Solanum nigrum has various other names such as black nightshade, Indian nightshade, European black nightshade solanum, garden huckleberry, Kakamachi, duscle, wonder berry, petty morel and hound’s berry. The fact that many of you eat it without illness doesn’t mean it’s toxin-free or safe, just that you’ve not received a high enough dose to give symptoms. The composition of 100 g edible portion of “African” nightshade leaves (I presume S. nigrum) is water 87.8 g, 39 calories, protein 3.2 g, fat 1g, carbs 6.4 g, fiber 2.2 g, calcium 200 mg, potassium 54 mg, iron 0.3 mg, beta carotene 3.7 mg, ascorbic acid 24 mg. My parents eat the leaf of the plant and I grew up eating it! Oh if only you had posted this two weeks ago! Root Simple is a gathering place for everyone. The thing is, the last time he ate the soup, he said he started feeling weird and saw things and heard things that werent there, he told me this story before I knew exactly what plant he was talking about. Root Simple is about back to basics, DIY living, encompassing homegrown vegetables, chickens, herbs, hooch, bicycles, cultural alchemy, and common sense. Some of them have more jagged edges leaves, not smooth like the poisonous variety, but some have smooth leaves. The dry matter content varies from 6–18 % depending on plant age, soil moisture and … . It was used in times of food shortage by native tribes. We’ve blogged about the confusion between the edible Solanum nigrum and the toxic “deadly nightshade” or Atropa belladonna in a post last year. Solanum nigrum: All that You Need to Know About! Based on my experience Black Nightshade (Solanum nigrum) is definetely *NOT* Edible, My father suffering from leaver cancer in advance stage some body tell me to use the solanum nigrum leave to eat and the boil water can use it. Black Nightshade also has more protein, calories, fiber, calcium, iron, B vitamins, and vitamin C than spinach. Am from South africa and my grannies used to cook jam with the ripe berries. The leaves contain about 6990mg of beta carotene per 100g. American BlackNightshade Black Nightshade Cutleaf Nightshade (So lanum americanum) (So lanum nigrum) (So lanum triflorum) Mature Plant: 1 to 3 feet tall, with straggling stems that are Variable in height; usually extensively Mature plant grows flat or tends to rise It grows to a maximum height of 1.2 m and has white/pale blue flowers borne in bunches. I have this in my garden and have been plucking the ripe berries each alternate day i see. Oddly, many westerners continue to suggest that the greens are poisonous despite the fact that you can buy them in markets all over Asia and Central America. In India, the plant has become naturalised and found all over in the temperate regions. Some member of this family have a reputation for being edible cooked, but not raw, too. Black nightshade is a plant. Our friend above and below, Solanum nigrum, black nightshade, is edible. Indian cuisine, for example, utilizes the young leaves and stems through a process of sequential treatment with boiling water. The Homeopathic medicine , Solanum Nigrum is best used to treat : Black discoloration of parts. The plant most commonly referred to as “deadly nightshade,” is Atropa belladonna, which is a highly unpleasant and toxic hallucinogen. Thanks for sharing. Many scientific studies have been made into the toxin content of Solanum nigrum and related plants. Wow, that article looks super helpful–thanks! There are several Solanum spp. Notes: This native, weedy species was once listed as a county-level noxious weed and is part of the “Black Nightshade complex”, a group of related plants with very similar characteristics. When the plant is soft and the water has turned a dark, but still translucent, green, it’s done cooking. Very tasty…. Edible black nightshade fruit occurs in clusters, above. This is one of the most popular vegetables of Asia and Southern Europe yet here in North America it is lumped in with its much more poisonous family members such as belladonna. Black Nightshade (Solanum nigrum) is an annual/ short-lived perennial herb. Oddly, many westerners continue to suggest that the greens are poisonous despite the fact that you can buy them in markets all over Asia and Central America. I’ve got some that came up out of the compost. The ripe fruit and cooked leaves are edible, however, some parts of the plants are poisonous and can cause serious damage to humans and cattle. The flowers tend to curve from the edges with the time. My dad looked at me like I was crazy lol. In the 15th-century China, it was recorded as a famine food despite its toxicity level. “Black nightshade,” Solanum nigrum, on the other hand, is edible. It was also recorded in the deposit of Mesolithic and Paleolithic era. we all have our different tastes, I like native gooseberries but most everyone i share them with are disgusted. are Solanum burbankii, not Solanum nigrum. Simmer the plant for 3 to 5 minutes. In Ethiopia, the ripe berries are also a common food in famine-affected areas and consumed as-is. Black Nightshade, despite its dangerous reputation, has both edible leaves and ripe fruits. Blackberry Nightshade is an erect short lived perennial taprooted shrub. I have eaten a leaf from the Solanum Nigrum.I would not recommend anyone to do this.The stomach cramping and purgatory action will last for days.The black berries are sooo good though. His experience was not what he was expecting after eating soup. We’re always learning, figuring stuff out, taking advantage of the enormous smarts of our friends and our on-line community, and trying to give some of that back in turn. My husband thought it was a tiny tomato :), but after some research we found just what you say here that it’s a member of the nightshade family (like tomato and potato), is not poisonous, and tastes a bit like tomato. I wonder what the defining differences are between the two. Wow, I am so glad you posted this. and here I am tearing it out every few days…. Edible Uses: Young leaves - cooked. Leaf shapes are similar. The paste of its leaves is used externally to treat skin infections such as eczema and psoriasis. They are OK, but not particularly tasty. Solanums poison many many grazing cattle every year. When I did some research, everything I found said that it IS poisonous! This native plant is an annual (thus why I keep making sure I spread some seed into strategic locations in my yard every year). Caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity. We have this growing in our balcony garden (no idea where it came from). One must be careful when using the popular names for plants! I’ve snacked on Solanum nigrum berries from the backyard and I was lucky to be served Solanum nigrum prepared in a balsamic reduction sauce by Pascal’s partner Mia Wasilevich…and I’ve lived to tell the tale! As for the toxicity, Deadly Nightshade (Atropa Belladonna) berries are HIGHLY toxic in all forms, whereas Black Nightshade (Solanum Nigrum) can be toxic when they are green, and unripe, the level of toxicity can depend on the soil it is growing in, and the berries, when ripe are black, and are edible. Its flower and fruit look just like that of small eggplant/aubergine. Now I am wondering if he is confused about which plant he cooked or if he ate too much and got a little sick? The oval or heart-shaped leaves are long and wide. I’ve eaten the leave my whole life and I am still here today. My father consumed these berries from his garden thinking they were harmless, however suffered severe reactions from these and was admitted into hospital with stroke like symptoms including paralysis, inability to communicate, severe hallucinations, tightness of muscles and severe pain etc.. Today is day 5 since he has been in hospital whereby the affects are slowly wearing off, and it now appears he is past the worst of it. The renowned ecologist and botanist, Edward Salisbury suggested that the plant, Solanum nigrum was a native to ancient Britain even before Neolithic agriculture. Solanum toxin levels vary dramatically with the part of the plant, its maturity (eg mature berries are low in toxin), and exposure to light. Much of the confusion surrounding Solanum nigrum is caused by “experts” confusing it with Atropa belladonna due to the similarity between both the appearance of the plant and the popular names. The taste of the liquid and plant will have a slight bitter taste, its taste absolutely wonderful with some white rice. My mother and my sister eat both the green/raw fruits and leaves. It has tiny seeds inside just like blue berries. Black Nightshade leaves are poisonous unless properly prepared. Solanum is a large and diverse genus of flowering plants, which include three food crops of high economic importance, the potato, the tomato and the eggplant (aubergine, brinjal). One can found another variety of berries, which turn red when ripened. Consumption of raw berries can cause vomiting, fever, diarrhoea, mild stomach pains and sometimes, even death in children, when ingested in a large amount, due to cardiac arrhythmia and respiratory failure. I popped off one of the still green berries one day, opened it, and smelled it. The issue of the edibility of black nightshade (Solanum nigrum) came up in the comments on our post on forager Pascal Baudar. Solanum nigrum also contains a glycoalkaloid steroid-solasodine that can be propagated via roots of the plant. I only get to eat it once a year when I go visit my parents in Oregon. The flowers are usually green or white with bright yellow anthers. Butea Monosperma or Palash: Flower Tree Types & Meaning, HEALTH BENEFITS OF TEA FLOWERS AND MINDFULNESS EXERCISES, Bamboo Flowers: Plant & Species Understanding, Ornamental Plants and Flowers: Names & Pictures, Kurinji Flower – An Overview about Neelakurinji, 5 Best Low Light Indoor Plants for your Apartment. It is perennial. It is also harmful to livestock. They love to dip those on hot souce, or crush the raw berries mixed with other ingredient and eat raw too. We had some pop up in the garden a few years ago. I just took exactly that into Armstrong and they told me it was poisonous so I pulled it up. I moved away from home and cannot find any to eat I crave it soo much! read my above post – you have been warned, I would speak to a qualified health professional regarding your fathers ailment rather than seek advice here. Created by ArenaFlowers, India. And its calyces (the green bits like lapels or a collar between stem and fruit) are smaller than the fruit. The majority of nightshade plants, especially the edible varieties, can be touched safely and won’t cause any problems. The small leaves and white cluster flowers give this plant a distinctive appearance. https://www.juliasedibleweeds.com/general/deadly-delicious-black-nightshade Leaves alternate on the stem and have wavy edges. The fruit contains about 2.5% protein, 0.6% fat, 5.6% carbohydrate, 1.2% ash [179]. Why the process took two weeks he cannot explain but says is the best thing he has ever eaten. in my house in Los Angeles grow in my compost and every place that like weed. This herb is often confused with the ‘deadly nightshade,’ Atropa belladonna, which belongs to another genus. Most other nightshades are not edible and many are poisonous if eaten. In the article I linked to, Thayer says that black nightshade greens could be the most widely eaten greens in the world. It has tips on distinguishing the two. It can be found easily in disturbed habitats. The ripe fruit and cooked leaves are edible, however, some parts of the plants are poisonous and can cause serious damage to humans and cattle. It also contains the nightshades and horse nettles, as well as numerous plants cultivated for their ornamental flowers and fruit. This herb grows as a perennial but is short-lived. He says the cooking twice a day was to kill bacteria. However, this hasn’t deterred humans to try its edible strain all over the world. In the article I linked to, Thayer says that black nightshade greens could be the most widely eaten greens in the world. Here in Nagaland, North East India, it is a much sought after vegetable…from what i can tell from looking at online pics the ones we eat are the Solanum trilobatum and Solanum sodomeum, we call the small berries Likok, while the larger varieties are called Taku(meaning bitter) we prefer it to be as bitter as possible so unripened ones are cooked or made into pickles and chutneys. Make a one time donation: Join the Democratic Socialists of America! If so, they are NOT delicious and will become a weed! The stem can be slightly hairy or on occasions hairless. I can vouch for it not being poisonous, because my parents are alive! The raw fruit has a purple-ish colour, but as it ripe, it almost disappears. There are probably enough plants called Black Nightshade that you should be very careful which one you have. Solanum nigrum is, by the way, much more commonplace. I tried wonderberries a few years ago, they’re not very good plain and now I find them all over my yard and garden. They grew up in Taiwan, and as kids they would pick the ripe berries and eat them (they grew up in the countryside). A local restaurateur told me his wife puts the leaves in soups. I will make sure tomorrow and have our extention agent look at it for me. Looks like “wonderberries” (there’s marketing for you!) People all around the world eat Solanum nigrum. The plants are lovely, with the small white flowers, beautiful green berries and ripe black ones occurring at the same time. There are different varieties of edible black nightshade, solanum nigrum, and they don't all have the same shaped leaves. . But now I’m unsure of whether we have: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanum_americanum, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanum_nigrum. Make an ongoing pledge: I have no idea where it came from :). Another common and tasty edible wild plant is black nightshade (Solanum nigrum). The fine hairs on hairy nightshade give the leaf a silvery gray color and may be "sticky" to the touch. 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