Fauna
Plant · GBIF taxon 3801688

Eastern Black Nightshade

Solanum emulans

Also 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
Eastern Black Nightshade reference1 / 7
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Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & prey
  • Autotrophic (Photosynthetic)
Predators
  • Flea beetles
  • Colorado potato beetle
  • Songbirds
ThreatsHerbicides and agricultural clearing
HabitatsDisturbed soil, thickets, fields, forest edges
Life spanAnnual
Classification
  1. OrderSolanales
  2. FamilySolanaceae
  3. GenusSolanum
  4. SpeciesSolanum emulans
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskHigh
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. 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.
Related species
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