Safety note: All parts, especially unripe green berries, contain toxic solanine alkaloids. Ingestion can cause nausea, vomiting, and in large amounts can be fatal. Keep away from children.
Black Nightshade is a weedy annual herb with small white star-shaped flowers and clusters of small berries that ripen from green to glossy black. It is one of the most widespread plants on Earth, found on every inhabited continent, and is common in gardens, roadsides, and disturbed ground across North America. The ripe berries have been used as food after cooking in many cultures, but unripe berries are toxic and all plant parts should be treated with caution. Birds consume ripe berries and disperse seeds widely.
Habitat
Gardens, roadsides, disturbed ground, field edges
Diet
Ripe berries eaten by robins, mockingbirds, and other frugivorous birds
How common
Common
Recent Black Nightshade sightings near you
Live, research-grade observations from iNaturalist. Allow location to center the map on you.
Spot a Black Nightshade? Identify it instantly.
Point Huck at any plant or animal and get an instant ID, rarity, and field notes — building your personal nature collection as you go.
Get Huck — free