# What kind of weed am I nurturing in my garden?



## rhaige9 (Oct 31, 2010)

These have come up before, and I didn't plant them. This year I saw one and thought, "Awe, it's trying so hard to grow. It doesn't look like the other weeds. I should let it grow." Now I have them coming up all over the place. What is it, and does it have any value medicinally or food wise?


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## Fennick (Apr 16, 2013)

That's _Common Nightshade_, a member of the solanum family. 

It's pretty but it's an invasive weed and it's toxic. The berries are toxic to most livestock and humans but some birds can tolerate the berries and they spread the seeds. Some types of nightshades are used for their extracts for making pharmaceutical medications. Only somebody very knowledgeable about the use of toxic plants should mess with nightshade because some of them are deadly. One of the nightshades (with purple flowers) is commonly called "Deadly Nightshade". Also called "Belladonna". 

There are several types of nightshades with various colors of flowers (deep purple and yellow, white and yellow, pink and yellow) and berries ranging from red to black, and with toxicity ranging from deadly toxic to mildly toxic with the berries being the most potent part of the plant but all parts are toxic.

The berries are rather sweet when ripe and may be mistaken for other types of edible red, blue or black berries, so they may be tempting to children and some livestock. 

There are some other plants in the solanum family - i.e. potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant whose fruits aren't as toxic as nightshade berries but still have toxic flowers.

*Common Nightshade*

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## 258Pots (Apr 23, 2015)

One of the most evil plants there is, responsible for many, many livestock deaths...

I had some growing by the front porch, I watch for it...


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## Tiempo (May 22, 2008)

Yep, kill.


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

At least it is an easy weed to pull up. Just do it before the birds spread it. It doesn't seem to kill them.


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## Old Vet (Oct 15, 2006)

You should nurture it by applying roundup every day.


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## rhaige9 (Oct 31, 2010)

Thx everyone. It does pull out very easily, and I'm pulling it every time is see one start to grow.


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## My2butterflies (Jan 17, 2015)

I have this too. Now I can give it a name 
We have this and deadly nightshade everywhere around here.


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