Hi. I have found some small patches of berries, which began as pale green and have ripened to a dark inky blue, growing in my vegetable garden. I imagine they resulted from seeds dropped by birds, or perhaps came along with the mushroom manure used as fertilizer. I noticed they have little white pointed flowers with a yellow centre. Could anyone tell me what these might be? They are only five or six inches high, and kind of like a vine in their stalk parts.
Sounds like solanum nigrum, black nightshade; google the name into an image search and see if it's a match. Poisonous, if that's the case.
Thanks for the plant identification. It is indeed s. nigram. More research on this plant indicates that it has poisonous and nonpoisonous varieties, and that some people cook and eat the leaves. I will probably just compost them.
Luther Burbank's 'wonderberry' (solanum burbankii), and other edible variations often called 'garden huckleberry' look the same, though often grow larger. In your case, it is highly unlikely that you would have them turn up in your compost without having grown them in the past, so nigrum seemed the most likely choice. These other varieties are quite tasty, though, and worth growing. Indeed, as you mention, the poisonous nature of nigrum needs to be qualified; some people claim to eat them when fully ripe, as it is only the unripe berries that have a negative effect. Others avoid them entirely. Given the difference between unripe/ripe, I suppose erring on the side of caution became the standard approach.
