American Black Nightshade
Solanum americanum
Also listed as Solanum nodiflorum, Solanum photeinocarpum
Also known as American Nightshade, Glossy Nightshade, Smallflower Nightshade
Climate Match for your location
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A weedy herbaceous plant with small white flowers and black berries, native to the Americas. It is invasive in many regions and typically treated as an undesirable volunteer in gardens.
Why grow it
American black nightshade produces edible berries and is far hardier and more cold-tolerant than commercial Solanum species like garden huckleberry, making it useful for temperate permaculture systems where other Solanum crops struggle. The plant establishes quickly from seed and requires minimal inputs once established, though yields and berry size are modest compared to improved cultivars.
Watch out for
Self-seeds readily and can persist in disturbed soil, so containment may be necessary if you want to prevent volunteer plants in adjacent beds. Berries develop full sweetness only when fully ripe and black, and immature green berries contain higher concentrations of alkaloids.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Solanaceae
Native to the United States
Native Range
Central and South America
Native to: Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oregon, Texas, Washington
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Harvest Season
Edible Parts
Season of Interest
Herb
Soft non-woody plants of the field layer.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Years to Bearing
- Propagation
A weedy herbaceous plant with small white flowers and black berries, native to the Americas. It is invasive in many regions and typically treated as an undesirable volunteer in gardens.
Climate Match for your location
See how well American Black Nightshade grows in your area.
Enter your ZIP code and we'll show you how this plant fits your local climate.
Why grow it
American black nightshade produces edible berries and is far hardier and more cold-tolerant than commercial Solanum species like garden huckleberry, making it useful for temperate permaculture systems where other Solanum crops struggle. The plant establishes quickly from seed and requires minimal inputs once established, though yields and berry size are modest compared to improved cultivars.
Watch out for
Self-seeds readily and can persist in disturbed soil, so containment may be necessary if you want to prevent volunteer plants in adjacent beds. Berries develop full sweetness only when fully ripe and black, and immature green berries contain higher concentrations of alkaloids.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Solanaceae
Native to the United States
Native Range
Central and South America
Native to: Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oregon, Texas, Washington
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Harvest Season
Edible Parts
Season of Interest
Herb
Soft non-woody plants of the field layer.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Years to Bearing
- Propagation
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