Black Nightshade

Black Nightshade is Solanum nigrum, a branching annual native across Europe and Asia and now naturalized widely throughout temperate and subtropical regions worldwide. It grows to roughly two feet in height, bearing small white star-shaped flowers with reflexed petals and prominent yellow anthers — characteristic of its genus — followed by clusters of small, glossy berries that ripen from green to deep black. A plant with genuine ecological value, it draws pollinators and provides late-season forage for birds. Gardeners grow it as a useful companion plant and for observation of the broader Solanum family in their own landscapes.