Fricanod: Since you are new to gardening, the problems may lie in your basic soil preparation or watering. What kind of soil do you have, and did you add any amendments when planting? Blueberries require an acidic soil rich in organic material, but well drained. Are you mulching your plants, and how much and how often do you water? Excessive watering is a common mistake of new gardeners. Mulching helps to conserve moisture and hold down weeds. So tell us about these things. There is no reason to believe that eggplant would affect your other perennial plants. Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Thanks for identifying Anitamo; I was hoping this wasn't so, as the bush is so attractive. However, I can see it can be invasive as I have two hardy seedlings sprouting already. I shall keep one for the bats though.

Thank you Saltcedar for posting a message and giving me the name of the plant I wanted ID. I remember the woman that sold it to me said the birds liked the berries. Veronica from Sunny Southern Alabama

Glad to help, Ray. (As it happens, it was pure luck....) Sauropus apparently lacks the latex sap common to most Euphorbs, which can cause problems in some folks -- sometimes severe. But if you have any weird problems after handling it, trimming it, or eating it, ask the doctors to look up Sauropus on the web.