Bittersweet Nightshade

Summer brings a tidal wave of new wildflower blooms every week and I must admit it is a challenge to keep up with all these beauties! Some of the colorful ones can be deceiving though. You may have seen the Bittersweet Nightshade (Solanum dulcamara), a vine-like plant in shady damp places around our parks and green spaces. It has clusters of small purple and yellow flowers.

This non-native plant has a mild foul odor and is somewhat toxic to humans, especially children. The unripe berries (green color) are the most poisonous, followed by the ripe (red color) berries. The name, dulcamara, refers to the initial bitterness of the berries, followed by strong sweetness. Although toxic, the plant has historically been used to treat skin abrasions.

Note that this plant is related to Deadly Nightshade (Atropa belladonna) which is extremely toxic; both are in the Solanaceae family. 

We spotted these nightshades growing at Jackson Bottom Wetlands on the Bobcat Trail. (6/18/2013)