Plant · GBIF taxon 3801688
eastern black nightshade
Solanum emulansAlso known as American Black Nightshade, Black Nightshade
Eastern black nightshade thrives in open fields, sunny thickets, and disturbed soil across North America. Small white star-shaped flowers with prominent yellow central cones bloom through summer, ripening into clusters of glossy, ink-black berries by early autumn. Gamebirds and songbirds readily consume the mature fruit, dispersing seeds widely across diverse landscapes.
NativeWildflowerBerries
1 / 7—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Autotrophic (Photosynthetic)
Predators
- Flea beetles
- Colorado potato beetle
- Songbirds
ThreatsHerbicides and agricultural clearing
HabitatsDisturbed soil, thickets, fields, forest edges
Life spanAnnual
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderSolanales
- FamilySolanaceae
- GenusSolanum
- SpeciesSolanum emulans
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskHigh
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is high
- Unripe berries and green foliage contain solanine, and wild berries have toxic look-alikes; do not ingest.
- Why it is dangerous
- Contains toxic glycoalkaloids like solanine in foliage and green unripe berries, which cause severe digestive upset and lethargy if eaten.
- How to recognize a risky encounter
- Recognized by white five-petaled drooping flowers with bright yellow central anther cones, followed by shiny black berries.
- What to do
- Observe without harvesting, and wash hands if foliage is crushed on skin.
Responsible observation
- Identification: Look for small white flowers with yellow center cones and shiny black berries.
- Observation: Examine the downward-curving fruit stalks during late summer and autumn.
- Safety: Keep pets and livestock away from raw foliage and unripe green fruit.
Close Relative (c) Cricket Raspet, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Cricket Raspet · cc-by
Close Relative no rights reserved, uploaded by 葉子 · cc0
Vine Relative (c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman · cc-by-sa
Cultivated Relative (c) jamie-aa, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by jamie-aa · cc-by
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