Nightshades - Eastern Black or Hairy

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The most common species of annual nightshade in Ontario is eastern black nightshade, although hairy nightshade also occurs.

Scientific Names: Eastern black nightshade, Solanum ptycanthum Dun., Hairy nightshade, Solanum sarachoides Sendt.

Other Names: Eastern black nightshade is also called SOLPT, morelle noire de l’est, Black nightshade, Deadly nightshade; Hairy nightshade is also called morelle poilue, morelle sarachoide, Cupped nightshade, Potatoweed

Family: Nightshade or Potato Family (Solanaceae)

General Description: Annual, reproducing only by seed.

Habitat: Annual nightshades are commonly found in cultivated fields, gardens, waste places, fencerows, edges of pastures and open dry woods.

Seedlings

Eastern black nightshade	Hairy nightshade
Seedling with stem Leaves alternate Cotyledons oblong to elongated, 10- 15 mm (2/5- 3/5 in.) long Underside often purplish	Seedling with stem Leaves alternate Cotyledons oblong to elongated, finishing in a point, 10- 15 mm (2/5- 3/5 in.) long Presence of hairs

Stems

Eastern black nightshade	Hairy nightshade
Erect 5- 100 cm (2- 40 in.) high Much-branched in the upper part Mostly hairless	Spreading or erect Up to 1 m (40 in.) long Stem branching Softly hairy

Leaves

Eastern black nightshade	Hairy nightshade
Alternate (1 per node) Ovate or diamond-shaped Pale green Soft, thin, and nearly translucent	Alternate (1 per node) Ovate to nearly triangular Dull green to grey-green Thick and opaque

Flowers

Eastern black nightshade	Hairy nightshade
2- 5 grouped together in a small umbel on a short stalk sticking out from the side of the stem Calyx of 5 united sepals with 5 pointed lobes, small and not enlarging with the fruit Petals white or white tinged with purple, united in a star-shaped corolla with 5 sharp lobes Short anthers united and forming a yellow column in the centre Flowers from June until late autumn	Inflorescence of 3- 9 flowers in a short raceme sticking out from the side of the stem Calyx at first small but enlarging with age and acting as a cup around the lower half of the fruit Corolla white or tinged with bluish-purple Flowers from July to October

Fruit

Eastern black nightshade	Hairy nightshade
Berries are green at first, turning black and juicy when mature	Berries are greenish turning yellowish-brown to brown at maturity

Often Confused With
Pigweed Seedlings (The leaves of nightshades are dark green with a purplish lower surface and toothed margins)

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Tender Fruit

Nightshades - Eastern Black or Hairy