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Vegetable Gardening

Sunberries or some other poisonous nightshade berries?

13 years ago

Can anyone with some experience with sunberries help me figure out if these are edible berries, or one of the supposedly poisonous ones from the nightshade family?

{{gwi:115472}}

I also posted about this in my blog with more pictures if you wouldn't mind taking a look in more detail. I sure hope they aren't (too) poisonous, because I just ate a small handful.

Thank you so much in advance!

Here is a link that might be useful: Are these edible sunberries or something poisonous?

Comments (12)

sandhill_farms
13 years ago
You may want to post your pics over on the "Name That Plant" Forum here on GW. They may be able to identify it for you. Link below...

Greg
Southern Nevada

Here is a link that might be useful: Name That Plant
thyme2garden
Original Author
13 years ago
Greg - thank you so much for your help! I just posted it over there in that forum as you suggested.
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loribee2
13 years ago
I sure hope they aren't (too) poisonous, because I just ate a small handful.

Then I presume you'll get your answer soon!
pippimac
13 years ago
That plant looks like deadly nightshade to me.
If it is, you're probably feeling pretty unwell right now.
Asking online about the toxicity of something you've already eaten seems...not ideal.
thyme2garden
Original Author
13 years ago
loribee2 and pippimac - thanks for looking and for your feedback! Most people (here on gardenweb and readers of my blog) seem to be in agreement that I have the weedy/wild variety, which according to some people can be poisonous. Fortunately, I have felt zero ill-effects after eating these berries today. Perhaps I didn't eat enough of them, or maybe the berries weren't poisonous after all. I have read documents that argue on both sides of poisonous/non-poisonous nature of the Solanum nigrum species.
happyday
13 years ago
So, how did they taste?
thyme2garden
Original Author
13 years ago
happyday - the berries actually tasted pretty good. They were very subtly/mildly sweet, with zero tartness (like how some blueberries can be tart). Unlike any other berries I've ever tasted, but very berry-like in texture.
pippimac
13 years ago
Whew. Looks identical to deadly nightshade. I'd do further research before eating more though: apparently poisonous nightshade berries are sweet rather than bitter, so don't use palatability as your guide...
thyme2garden
Original Author
13 years ago
pippimac - actually, after an active discussion (on my blog) we have decided that what I have are most likely black nightshade (Solanum nigrum), rather than deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna). While deadly nightshades have bell-shaped purple flowers and shiny black berries, black nightshades has white flowers (with yellow anthers) and dull purple/black berries.
laceyvail 6A, WV
13 years ago
We teach this to children. NEVER eat anything from the yard unless a grown up has told you they're okay to eat. If you were unsure of the identification, you should not have eaten them.
forpityssake
13 years ago
Thanks for the chuckle. I've been known to taste some "unknown" berries, myself. :)

I didn't know there was a difference in that type of night shade. Thanks!

I've yet to get the nerve up to taste a Poke Berry. The birds love 'em. They're intoxicating & the birds have been known to literally get "drunk" by eating so many.
t-bird
13 years ago
my reading says pokeberrys are poisonous to mammals - ok for birds, so don't continue on with this human test trial in garden!!!

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