Nightshades
Botanical name: Solanum
Nightshades
Botanical name: Solanum
Description
Nightshades is a large and diverse genus of plants, with more than 1500 different types worldwide. this genus incorporates both important staple food crops like tomato, potato, and eggplant, but also dangerous poisonous plants from the nightshade family. The name was coined by Pliny the Elder almost two thousand years ago.
Species of Nightshades
Soda-apple nightshade
Soda-apple nightshade is native to Africa but has been introduced to South America. While it may be related to other edible plants, the fruits of soda-apple nightshade are toxic and are commonly used as cockroach bait. The other parts of the plant have been used by various cultures to cure a variety of ailments from headaches to snake bites.
Lyreleaf nightshade
A vine-like herb that thrives on other trees. The whole grass has soft hair. The leaves are greatly deformed depending on the part, from three-folded like a morning glory to an egg-shaped one. The flowers have five white or purple petals that are largely bent back in the late summer, and the stamens and yellow or black-brown stamens are exposed and protrude to the front. Fruits have a spherical fruit of about 1 cm in autumn and often ripen red, but some of them turn yellow.
Chilean nightshade
Chilean nightshade greets the day with a cascade of starry, purple-blue flowers, drawing pollinators to its sweet nectar. These Chilean potato vines, despite their delicate appearance, are resilient and flourish even amidst cold climates, making them a favourite choice among UK gardeners. However, take caution as all parts of the plant are no feast, but a feast of toxicity to humans and animals.
Surattense Nightshade
Surattense Nightshade (Solanum virginianum) is an herbaceous flowering plant species also known as Thorny nightshade or yellow-fruit nightshade. Surattense Nightshade is native to India and Nepal. Some parts of this species, like the fruit, are poisonous.
Black nightshade
Native to North America, eastern black nightshade is attractive but poisonous. Like many Solanum ptychanthum plants, all green portions of the plant contain the solanum alkaloid, which is highly toxic. Eastern black nightshade is shade-tolerant, so it can often be found growing in the shadow of crops. Bees and some beetles feed on the plant, but most other wildlife avoids it.
Eggplant 'Black Beauty'
Eggplant 'Black Beauty' is an heirloom eggplant cultivar that is over 100 years old and known for its dark, bell-shaped fruits that grow to be 10 to 15 cm long. It is one of the most popular heirloom eggplant varieties, both for its decorative traits (hence the name) and great taste.
Nipple-fruit
The Solanum mammosum is commonly known as nipple-fruit because of its similarity to human breasts. It is a Pan American fruit, although inedible, and used for ornamental purposes instead.
Potato 'Red Duke of York'
Potato 'Red Duke of York' is a large and diverse genus of plants, with more than 1500 different types worldwide. This genus incorporates both important staple food crops like tomato, potato, and eggplant, but also dangerous poisonous plants from the nightshade family. The name was coined by Pliny the Elder almost two thousand years ago.
Tropical soda apple
The "apples" or fruit of the tropical soda apple are small spheres about 6 cm in diameter that look just like miniature watermelons. Tropical soda apple is an aggressively invasive spiny shrub that produces many thousands of seeds that disperse rapidly over a wide area.
Bluewitch nightshade
The fruits of bluewitch nightshade, when ripe, resemble undersized eggplants, but the plant contains alkaloids that are toxic to humans if swallowed. Its flowers curl into closed balls at night and unfurl in the daylight.
Whitetip nightshade
Whitetip nightshade (Solanum chenopodioides), a native of Argentina, was spread around the globe in agricultural produce and has become naturalized in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. It can be confused with the more common Black Nightshade, but it requires a moister habitat, it has narrower petals, and the underside of the leaves is pale and hairy.
Potato 'King Edward'
Potato 'King Edward' is a large and diverse genus of plants, with more than 1500 different types worldwide. This genus incorporates both important staple food crops like tomato, potato, and eggplant, but also dangerous poisonous plants from the nightshade family. The name was coined by Pliny the Elder almost two thousand years ago.
Potato 'Blue Danube'
Potato 'Blue Danube' is a large and diverse genus of plants, with more than 1500 different types worldwide. This genus incorporates both important staple food crops like tomato, potato, and eggplant, but also dangerous poisonous plants from the nightshade family. The name was coined by Pliny the Elder almost two thousand years ago.
Indian nightshade
Indian nightshade grows wild in southern Asia, including some parts of the Middle East. Like other many members of the nightshade family, this plant is potentially poisonous. It usually grows in open areas up to 2000 m in elevation.
Nightshade
Among the other nicknames of nightshade (Solanum incanum) are thorn apple, Sodom apple, and bitter apple, giving a clue to its toxicity. The nightshade's toxic fruit is a significant threat to grazing animals and livestock in the plant's native Africa, where it is widespread and highly invasive. It is also effective as a pesticide, particularly against cattle ticks.
Potato 'British Queen'
Potato 'British Queen' is named in honor of that nation's monarch. The Queen in question was Queen Victoria - since this popular hybrid is over 100 years old. It is a hybrid that produces a tuber that is drier and more floury than that of the parent plant. This widely cultivated potato is popular for its high resistance to dry rot. It has been given the Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society.
Tomato 'Black Russian'
The tomato 'Black Russian' is a bushy tomato plant that is resistant to rabbits. This cultivar produces round, medium-sized tomatoes with thin skins, whose color ranges from dark red to black. The tomato 'Black Russian' gets its name from that dark color, and because the type originated in Russia.
Tomato 'Chocolate Cherry'
The tomato 'Chocolate Cherry' is either a purplish-red or black version of the cherry tomato, with a sweet and tart flavor. This plant gets its name for being dark and sweet like chocolate. This tomato is good as a snack and can be a sweet addition to pasta or salad. Gardeners love that its vines are disease-resistant.
Potato 'Kestrel'
Potato 'Kestrel' is a large and diverse genus of plants, with more than 1500 different types worldwide. This genus incorporates both important staple food crops like tomato, potato, and eggplant, but also dangerous poisonous plants from the nightshade family. The name was coined by Pliny the Elder almost two thousand years ago.
Potato 'Belle de Fontenay'
Potato 'Belle de Fontenay''s waxy texture, early growth, and lovely flavor make this variety of potato stand out. Cultivated as a hybrid small fingering potato varieties, this cultivar was suitably named as the "darling" of its region of origin. Popularly used in salads, potato 'Belle de Fontenay' is preferred for its ease of growth, fantastic texture and taste, and long-lasting shelf life.
Silverleaf nightshade
Silverleaf nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium) is a common weed that grows throughout North America, South America, and Africa. In South Africa, it is called "Satan's bush". Ingestion of silverleaf nightshade is thought to be toxic to horses.
Carolina horsenettle
Carolina horsenettle (Solanum carolinense) is a perennial herb native to the southeastern United States that is related to nightshade. Carolina horsenettle is a nettle in name, but it is not taxonomically a true nettle. All the parts of the plant are poisonous.
Jerusalem cherry
Jerusalem cherry (Solanum pseudocapsicum) is also known as "Christmas Cherry" or "Winter Cherry." It's called that because it bears fruit that look like cherries, but are actually poisonous berries. It's not indigenous to Israel, but was found growing there and was thus given the name jerusalem cherry. Its real native home is South America.
Buffalo bur
From a distance, buffalo bur may look deceptively cheerful. It has bright yellow flowers on top of green stems and dark green lobed leaves. A closer inspection, however, will show that this cheerful plant is covered in thorns from stem to flower. Not only are these thorns sharp, but they are also covered with a substance that causes lingering pain if introduced to the body.
Black nightshade
Black nightshade (Solanum nigrum) is a highly toxic plant and caution should be exercised around this plant. It's said that black nightshade fruits can technically be consumed if they are fully ripe and properly cooked and prepared. Generally though, due to the danger they present, no one would ever want to try to eat this plant.
Cherry tomato
Cherry tomato is a smaller yet sweeter variety of garden tomato that can be eaten straight off the vine. This sweet treat was cultivated from the cherry tomato, and is named for its small size. This cultivar is a favorite amongst gardeners because one plant can produce up to 6kg of tomatoes.
Potato 'Desiree'
The potato 'Desiree' is a popular agricultural crop that yields tubers with distinctive red skin and dense waxy flesh. This is a maincrop potato hybrid that takes longer to grow but produces a particularly rich and desirable (hence 'Desiree') crop. This rich yield is what makes this potato a popular plant.
Eggplant
Eggplant (*Solanum melongena*) is a plant species related to nightshade and native to India. Eggplant is grown worldwide for its edible purple fruit. The spongy and absorbent fruit is a staple in Eastern cuisines. This plant is known as "brinjal" in South Africa and Asia, while the British call it 'aubergine'.
Solanum japonense
Solanum japonense is a large and diverse genus of plants, with more than 1500 different types worldwide. This genus incorporates both important staple food crops like tomato, potato, and eggplant, but also dangerous poisonous plants from the nightshade family. The name was coined by Pliny the Elder almost two thousand years ago.
Cockroach berry
Cockroach berry (Solanum capsicoides) is sometimes grown ornamentally for its attractive orange fruits, although it is toxic to animals and humans. Because of this visual appeal, it has been widely introduced worldwide and is now classed as an invasive species in locations including China, Hawaii, and South Africa.
Greenspot nightshade
Greenspot nightshade (Solanum douglasii) is a perennial herb or subshrub native to western North America. This species grows in scrub forests and woodlands, where it blooms white and lavender flowers for much of the year. Local peoples have used it to make a dye for tattoos.
Hairy nightshade
Hairy nightshade (Solanum villosum) is named for the dense, though not prickly, hairs all over its stems and leaves. Though other members of the nightshade family are highly toxic, the leaves of the hairy nightshade are commonly eaten and sold as leafy greens in Africa and the Mediterranean.
Cutleaf nightshade
Cutleaf nightshade looks a bit odd as it is very hairy. But it’s particularly interesting to look at when its centimeter-wide white flowers fully open 76 cm above the ground and exhibit a touch of purple.
American black nightshade
American black nightshade (*Solanum americanum*) is a flowering herb with unknown native origins, and it is poisonous. Its berries should not be consumed, as berry consumption has resulted in death in children.
Bitter tomato
The Ethiopian Eggplant is a one-year, herbaceous plant that can reach heights of growth of up to 70 cm. It is hairy with stalked or seated, five- to neunstrahligen, star-shaped trichomes. The stems are occupied with 2 to 5 mm long, at the base 1 to 2 mm wide, straight or slightly curved spines. The upper leaves are often in unevenly shaped pairs.
Texas Nightshade
Texas Nightshade (Solanum triquetrum) looks just like a little tiny tomato. That’s not surprising, because the plant is in the genus Solanum. This is the same one that tomatoes belong to. The family also includes potatoes, eggplants, and poisonous species of nightshade. Who would have thought that all these plants would be related?
Kangaroo apple
Kangaroo apple (Solanum laciniatum) is a fast growing tree that can grow from 91 to 183 cm tall. It blooms from winter to spring with mauve flowers. Produces a yellowish green drupe fruit that is not edible. It thrives in full sun with moist, well-drained soil. It is not drought tolerant and needs regular watering.
Ear-leaved nightshade
Ear-leaved nightshade (Solanum mauritianum) is a small shrub species that can live up to thirty years. Ear-leaved nightshade is native to South America, including Northern Argentina, Southern Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. This species is considered invasive in New Zealand and Australia, where is it known as tobacco bush weed. All parts of this plant, especially the berries, are toxic to humans.
Potato 'Lady Christl'
A member of the Award of Garden Merit winners, potato 'Lady Christl' is an early- and fast-growing variety of potato. Hybridized from WS73-3-391 and Mansour potatoes, this cultivar may have been named for its beautiful appearance and "crystal"-clear skin. Potato 'Lady Christl' is one of the highest-rated variety of potatoes due to its delightful growing habit, taste, appearance, and resistance to disease.
Potato 'Nicola'
Potato 'Nicola' is a large and diverse genus of plants, with more than 1500 different types worldwide. This genus incorporates both important staple food crops like tomato, potato, and eggplant, but also dangerous poisonous plants from the nightshade family. The name was coined by Pliny the Elder almost two thousand years ago.
Potato 'Pink Fir Apple'
Potato 'Pink Fir Apple' is a potato cultivar known for its very unusual long, uneven, knobbly shape called a fingerling. The potato has pink skin and waxy yellow flesh. It was originally bred in France in the 1850s. This cultivar outweighs the average potato and is renowned for its exceptional taste and texture and long shelf life.
Hinds' nightshade
Hinds' nightshade is a rare wildflower native to the Sonoran Desert in southwestern North America, where it naturally occurs in the driest and hottest areas. Due to its ability to tolerate drought and hot sun, Solanum hindsianum is a perfect shrub for escaping and rock gardens.
Quito orange
Quito orange is a herbaceous perennial shrub that can flower throughout the year. It produces small fruits, which are called 'little oranges.' However, poisonous alkaloids may be present in this plant. It is often grown as an ornamental thanks to the fact that it can turn into a sizable exotic shrub in only one season.
Potato 'Foremost'
Potato 'Foremost' is an early-seed Potato cultivar with white-fleshed tubers and white skin. The cultivar was selected for its excellent flavor, but it's also bred to have an extreme scab resistance, as well as slug resistance. The waxy tubers are noted for their ability to keep firmness during the boiling process.
Bahama nightshade
Bahama nightshade is a large and diverse genus of plants, with more than 1500 different types worldwide. This genus incorporates both important staple food crops like tomato, potato, and eggplant, but also dangerous poisonous plants from the nightshade family. The name was coined by Pliny the Elder almost two thousand years ago.
Spiral bittersweet
Spiral bittersweet is a shrub that is often used as folk medicine in parts of South East Asia with essential oils extracted. Although cultivated in doorway gardens, in the wild spiral bittersweet flourishes in damp areas at elevations not exceeding 2000 m.
Tomato 'Costoluto Fiorentino'
Tomato 'Costoluto Fiorentino' is an heirloom Tomato cultivar. Its name is a nod to the plant’s origins in Florence, Italy. It was bred to produce larger tomatoes for sauces and slicing. Its ruffled edges make it easily distinguishable from other plants in the family, and this is also what gives tomato 'Costoluto Fiorentino' fruits their distinctive flavor.
Brazilian nightshade
Brazilian nightshade (Solanum seaforthianum) is a perennial woody vine that will grow to 6 m tall and 91 to 183 cm wide. It blooms in summer with bluish-purple blossoms. Flowers are fragrant and attract butterflies and bees. Produces scarlet red berries that attract birds. Thrives in full sun with medium moist well-drained soil.
Sticky Nightshade
Sticky Nightshade has been cultivated for centuries as a trap crop for potato nematodes, but it's becoming a more popular garden plant thanks to its tomato-like fruit, called "litchi tomato." This fleshy fruit has been used as food among indigenous tribes in South America. Many of the Solanum species are toxic, so you should be careful not to confuse the edible Solanum sisymbriifolium with some other species, especially the highly poisonous Solanum carolinense.
Nightshades 'Album'
Nightshades 'Album' is a large and diverse genus of plants, with more than 1500 different types worldwide. This genus incorporates both important staple food crops like tomato, potato, and eggplant, but also dangerous poisonous plants from the nightshade family. The name was coined by Pliny the Elder almost two thousand years ago.
Western Horsenettle
Western Horsenettle (Solanum dimidiatum) is a flowering plant species native to the central United States. Western Horsenettle is also commonly known as Torrey's nightshade and robust horsenettle. This species is considered a noxious weed in California.
Bitter apple
Bitter apple (*Solanum linnaeanum*), also known as the Devil's apple or Apple of Sodom, is a prickly, bushy plant of the nightshade family native to Southern Africa. It has a distinct tomato-shaped fruit which is toxic. In other warm parts of the world, bitter apple is invasive and can choke out native vegetation in regions such as Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, Saudi Arabia, and the Mediterranean.
Potato vine
Potato vine is a vine that is grown as an ornamental for its star-shaped flowers. The flowers emit a sweet scent that attracts birds but drives away deer. The genus name 'Solanum' means 'comforting or soothing' in English. It bears glossy berry-like fruits that are black, blue, and purple in color.
Tamarillo
Tamarillo (Solanum betaceum), also known as Tamarillo, is a small tree or shrub from the nightshade family, native to the Andes. It can grow up to 5 m high. The edible tomato-like fruit is also called Tamarillo and can be yellow, orange, red, or purplish. It is popular to grow in subtropical areas around the world.
Pepino
Pepino (Solanum muricatum) is a domesticated South American evergreen shrub that's long been cultivated for its sweet fruit, and in fact is no longer found in the wild. The fruit is said to taste like honeydew melon combined with cucumber, earning the plant its other names, Pepino melon and Melon pear.
Potatotree
Potatotree (Solanum erianthum) is a small tree native to the tropical and subtropical Americas which has become an invasive species throughout the Pacific Islands, Australia, and Asia. All parts of the plant contain poisonous alkaloids.
Scientific Classification
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