Mystery weed

[kriswrite]

I'm so delighted to have found a foraging forum that's active! Here's a plant that's had me wondering for a while. It's a weed in my yard that takes over if I let it. I has pretty little bluish-purpleish and yellow flowers that turn into berries. I'm wondering if it could be edible. Does anyone recognize it? You can't tell from my photos, but the berries are oval in shape.IMG_2402.jpgIMG_2403.JPGIMG_2404.jpgIMG_2405.jpgIMG_2400.jpg

[gryffynklm]

That is Deadly Nightshade. Woody Nightshade, Solanum dulcamara, Bitter sweet.

Poisonous, Not edible.
Notes:
Stems have lower amounts of toxic alkaloids but all parts are toxic. All parts can cause vomiting, convulsions, vertigo, and paralysis. However, anticancer compounds have been found in Woody Nightshade.

http://www.bio.brandeis.edu/fieldbio...ightshade.html

[kriswrite]

Thank you!

[mountainmark]

Yup, my two year old wants to eat every berry because we have rasberries, black raspberries, blueberries and so on in our yard. I have been tearing out every bittersweet nightshade that pops up!

[LowKey]

Last move I made, had to rip up all the odds and ends poisonous plants in the yard. The buyer was concerned.
May apple, foxgloves, even jack in the pulpit...but she wanted to keep the delphiniums. Go figure.

[Crabapple Plum]

There is another variety of Nightshade often confused with "Deadly" that is quite medicinal, with the berries edible when boiled.

Solanum nigrum, aka Black Nightshade, Garden Nightshade, the berries are very dark purple, almost black when ripe. The flowers can be almost white, light to dark purple. There will often be flowers, unripe and ripe berries on the plant at the same time

I am looking for Black Nightshade seeds.

[gryffynklm]

Here you go. I'm going to post a caution here as you said this is a close relative of a deadly nightshade. Always use caution when using plants harvested from the wild or even propagated when there is a poisonous lookalike. Make sure proper positive identification has been made using a reputable source. I have come across a number of instances on the internet were a plant name and description has been mismatched with a potentially deadly plant photo.


Solanum nigrum, aka Black Nightshade
http://www.herbalfire.com/black-nigh...57e22e01606a33

[Crabapple Plum]

Here you go. I'm going to post a caution here as you said this is a close relative of a deadly nightshade. Always use caution when using plants harvested from the wild or even propagated when there is a poisonous lookalike. Make sure proper positive identification has been made using a reputable source. I have come across a number of instances on the internet were a plant name and description has been mismatched with a potentially deadly plant photo.


Solanum nigrum, aka Black Nightshade
http://www.herbalfire.com/black-nigh...57e22e01606a33

Thank you for the link, but it's not the plant I'm looking for. I'm looking for the North American Black Nightshade, a native plant. The seeds in the link are for the Russian Black Nightshade which has a slightly different alkyloid compound and doesn't make the same medicine.

When I get seeds, I'll grow them a full cycle to make sure I have the right plant before using.

[kriswrite]

Another great plant in this family is the wonderberry. I planted it once, and every year it comes back. It's supposedly toxic when eaten unripe (green), but then the berries turn a magnificent blackish purple. The berry has a wine-like flavor. ********************

[Crabapple Plum]

Another great plant in this family is the wonderberry. I planted it once, and every year it comes back. It's supposedly toxic when eaten unripe (green), but then the berries turn a magnificent blackish purple. The berry has a wine-like flavor. ********************

Can you post a pic? I'm interested in learning more about this plant and my search features on this computer are FUBAR.

[gryffynklm]

I did find some Solanum americanum seeds for sale on Ebay. Ya, I know Ebay???? Not sure about that.

[Crabapple Plum]

I did find some Solanum americanum seeds for sale on Ebay. Ya, I know Ebay???? Not sure about that.

Lol! I can't find a "Solanum Americanum" listed anywhere in my books. It must mean "A nightshade that grows in my yard in America and I named it." I haven't have good results with plants and seeds from eBay but I'll take a look.

I CAN use Deadly nightshade for some of the medicines, not all. It's trickier with little margin for error.

[kriswrite]

I posted a link with a pic and more info originally, but it didn't show up. Let's try again.

[Rick]

I CAN use Deadly nightshade for some of the medicines, not all. It's trickier with little margin for error.

"Hey honey, I just finished a new med. Say ahhhhhh."

[erunkiswldrnssurvival]

Bitter sweet Niteshade. there are three major niteshades of the poison variety. they are commonly called Devils Apples around here. tomato and potato are also niteshades but we can eat them.