Trying to identify this berry can u help? Description: Smooth round berry similar to blueberry, shiny surface. Loaded with small seeds, bland taste. Do not seem desireable to local critters or birds... photo attached.
Looks like Solanum americanum. Also, see this... Toxic Plants of North Carolina "Highly Toxic, May Be Fatal If Eaten"
Edibility seems to be disputed; while the foliage is toxic, some say the fully ripe fruit is edible: http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Solanum+americanum http://www.eattheweeds.com/www.EatT...Black_Nightshade,_A_Much_Maligned_Edible.html Still, probably not a good idea to eat many of the berries.
Was thinking of using to make wine, but very hesitate. Locals tell me they eat them; still not convinced. Thanks for your input
The tomato and potato plants also belong to this family, so edibility of specific parts of another kind of nightshade could certainly be possible. I've read that the tomato plant was grown by Thomas Jefferson just to be looked at, the fruits being thought to be toxic.
heard it is from the nightshade family... my son ate some of the ripe berries...not toxic... but green berries are toxic.
Thanks, I'll log that in the non-toxic category. I'm processing a sample to check for souble solids and Ph to see if it is suitable for wine making. (I can always find taste testers)
Solanum melanocerasum: Make sure it is this plant. A good reference was sent to me from Stokes Seeds when I thought I had planted nightshade. If you didn't seed it, I wouldn't eat it. This is the reference: http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/components/M1229.pdf I have them too. Pick them after the first frost. They are said to taste like blueberries when cooked. I will find out soon!
If you didn't plant it from seed, I wouldn't eat it. I thought I had planted nightshade (toxic) rather than "garden huckleberry". Big difference but apparently they look identical. This is the link Stokes Seeds sent me when I enquired. Cross pollination can occur between the two nightshade plants so considerable risk results in eating fruit from plants that pop up in the garden. Also, green fruit is toxic on both types. Be sure to wait until they are fully ripe. This is the first year I have grown them. They are suppose to taste like blueberries when cooked. Should be interesting to find out if they do! http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/components/M1229.pdf
