Bittersweet Nightshade is a semi-woody introduced vine from Eurasia, now naturalized throughout North America in moist thickets, roadsides, and stream banks. Its distinctive recurved purple petals with bright yellow anthers and clusters of berries that ripen through green, yellow, and red are highly recognizable. It climbs over shrubs and fences, forming dense mats in disturbed areas. Despite its toxicity to humans, ripe berries are consumed by birds that are resistant to the alkaloids.
Best time to see a Bittersweet Nightshade
The best time to see a Bittersweet Nightshade is June–August, when about 63% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 58,042 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Bittersweet Nightshade? What plant is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Bittersweet Nightshade sightings near you
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