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Berry Bush? Safe to eat? What is it?

16 years ago

Several of these bushes just sprouted up in the corner of our yard over the summer. They have little berries, they kind of look like black currants, but the leaves are shaped differently than the currant bushes I have seen. The berries are sweet. I would really love to know what they are, and especially if they are safe/edible, since my 16 month old son is desperate to eat the berries.

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Thanks!

Andrea

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Comments (8)

francis_eric
16 years ago
Im not sure, but I've always understood them to be poison.
They are invasive though they keep showing up on the side of my fence, from the bird droppings.
I hope just because one or two doesn't make you feel sick that noboddy gets convinced they are safe.
gardenguru1950
16 years ago
Looks like Solanum nigrum, BLACK NIGHTSHADE.

"The green berries and mature leaves contain glycoalkaloids and are poisonous to eat raw. Their toxicity varies and there are some strains which have edible berries when fully ripe. The plant has a long history of medicinal usage, dating back to ancient Greece."

Although only possibly toxic in some stage, I don't think it's worth the risks.

You say "sweet". Did you actually eat one (or more)?

Joe
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I live in an area where many cotoneasters were planted many years ago, but they are not native. The birds don't seem to go for them much, but... I think sometimes the cotoneasters provide good habitat and good hunting grounds for birds.... here is why: Many people in this area have "rockeries"....rockeries are a loose stone wall, with significant planting pockets in between the rocks. These rockeries are used to step down a steep grade in the landscape. Most rockeries were built between 1920 and 1970. In any case, many of these rockeries have small trailing cotoneasters planted in some of the pockets, and the cotoneasters thrive there. They sort of "hug" the wall, and cascade down. After watching and caring for the cotoneasters in my rockery, I am convinced they are useful for wildlife, but not because of the berries. First, spiders love to nest in them, and over-winter there. Ground-dwelling spiders seem to love to burrow under the cotoneasters and into the planting pockets. Second, ground-dwelling bees and small beneficial wasps love to burrow into the ground in these planting pockets that have protective cotoneasters above. Basically, the cotoneasters are good insect magnets. Third, the trailing cotoneasters make a dense mat that that the goldfinches love as shelter. Goldfinches are struggling in this residential urban environment to find shelter from domestic predators, and hanging out under the cotoneasters is one of their limited options. Or maybe they are going for the berries and bugs. I was hoping the berries would be the thing for wildlife with the existing cotoneasters in the yard. That doesn't seem to be true, but there are other advantages.
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kandaceshirley
16 years ago
I agree. It's black nightshade. It keeps popping up all over my yard this year too.
asantaga
Original Author
16 years ago
oh my gosh! Glad we didn't let the baby eat any. I only opened one of the ripe berries & tasted the juice, so maybe a drop?? And I did not get sick. But we will definitely be tearing them out.

Thank you so much for your help!
kandaceshirley
16 years ago
here's a link that might help

Here is a link that might be useful: nightshade
asantaga
Original Author
16 years ago
Ok now I am really wondering - do you think there is any possible way it started growing because I also have eggplants and tomatoes I have been growing in the same area for the past couple years? Or just a fluke?
genie_wilde
16 years ago
I don't think having planted "relatives" like eggplant and tomato would bring this wild plant to your yard except insomuch as it may enjoy similar soil. But it seems to me that the "deadly nightshade" (with red berries) that grows in my yard isn't all that fussy about soil composition. It'll pop up everywhere.

The good news is that nightshade is usually pretty easy to pull up. It'll come back, of course, unless you really dig up the roots, but it's not like trying to pull up a deep taprooted plant or even something like crabgrass.
comettose
16 years ago
Please do not give your baby unknown plants!

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