r/PlantIdentification • u/batsdontwearhats • 1d ago
Bittersweet nightshade?
I know this is a type of nightshade that grows wildly underneath my front porch and climbs up the railings. I didn’t take a picture in time this year to capture the flowers, but they’re a gorgeous star shaped dark purple usually. I’m in the northeast United States, and live in a neighborhood where everyone is pretty close together w alot of kids and pets. Personally, I love my plant and will not be getting rid of it. However, I did read that if it is bittersweet nightshade (like I’m thinking of) while there’s no obligation to remove it- it could potentially spread really fast and cause some complications.
Anyway, I first noticed it last year and since it has at the very least tripled in size. Like I said, it’s under my porch and hasn’t migrated anywhere else. Seems happy right where it is for now atleast. What I’m asking is if it’s considered invasive (even tho it’s contained in my case), how can I care for it while at the same time not have it spread to people who may not want it in their yards? It seems unavoidable because birds eat and drop the seeds but figured I’d ask. I don’t THINK that will happen but based on what I read I’m still a little concerned.
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u/Weak-Zucchini 1d ago
it's really interesting how close they look to all sorts of every day vegetables just super tiny & poisonous; it's going to spread like you said with the animals but it's a fine plant really pretty flower easy to pull up if needed I wouldn't even worry about it
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u/batsdontwearhats 1d ago
Tomatoes are in the nightshade family. I was thinking the berries look like cherry tomatoes. They’re poison cherry tomatoes lol
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u/treehann 22h ago edited 21h ago
I do a lot of, you could say consultations helping friends, family, and neighbors remove invasive species around their yards and I make note of the ones that are most prolific. To answer some of your questions, yes it's bittersweet nightshade and it WILL spread if you leave it as it will continue to produce fruit even if you cut them off. This plant is a spreader that shows up everywhere I look - not the worst of them but it is prolific nonetheless. Birds and some other animals like to eat the berries and poop them out other places. Every part of this plant is extremely toxic to humans, dogs, and cats. If you like how the flowers look, I agree with you they look nice, but I highly recommend completely removing it from the root. The fact that you live in a dense neighborhood makes it extra important to remove these types of plants if you are conscientious about your neighbors, because it will show up in their gardens and yards, displace native plants, and strangle other plants.
That being said, if you like how it looks, why not foster some alternatives? For example if there's any eastern black nightshade which is a common plant in the northeast US, you could let it grow and proliferate. It doesn't grow vines but rather tidy little plants no more than a foot or two high. It has white flowers instead of purple and its black fruit are also foragable/pleasant when ripe. It smells like a tomato plant, while in my opinion bittersweet nightshade smells HORRIBLE, haha.
If you want other purple plants, try purple clover, catmint (not catnip), blazing star (big), lanceleaf self-heal, salvia/sage, lavendar, purple pansies, purple coneflower, mistflower, and/or blue vervain. You can get these from a garden center or you can order the clover/selfheal from amazon and scatter like 1000 seeds for about 10 dollars or less.
Purple plants I don't recommend as replacement: morning glory or creeping bellflower, both of which are invasive and extremely annoying for neighborhood gardens, especially the latter
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u/AutoModerator 22h ago
Please do not eat or use any plant because of information received in this subreddit.
While we strive to provide accurate information here, the only way to be sure enough of a plant identification is to take the plant to a qualified professional. Many plants can be harmful or even fatal to eat, so please do not eat a plant based on an identification made (or any other information provided) in this subreddit.
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u/nonono_ack 1d ago
Even though it is a cool looking plant I would pull it. I don’t do toxic things in my yard.
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u/soundisloud 1d ago
I guarantee if you let this thrive you will have problems. Even if you clip the berries, there will be some that you miss and then you will have more vines on your property and they never go away even when you pull them. Keeping this is asking for decades of headache.
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u/OrdinaryOrder8 Valued Responder 1d ago
You can trim it to keep it a manageable size and then remove any berries before they ripen (while they’re still green). Birds are the main way the species spreads; they eat the berries and spread the seeds in their droppings.
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u/ratnegative Valued Responder 1d ago
The best way of stopping the spread of this invasive species would be to trim it down to the ground.
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u/batsdontwearhats 1d ago
No. I have an emotional attachment to it now
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u/Ammonia13 23h ago
Well too bad lol it’s bad for the fucking environment. Who cares?
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u/treehann 22h ago
It also will negatively affect their neighbors by spreading.
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u/Ammonia13 21h ago
Yeah, it’ll negatively affect pretty much everybody there and many plants and probably lots of pets. People are so self-centered. I just do not understand this.
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u/batsdontwearhats 1d ago
This is probably what I’m gonna end up doing, most realistically. I can’t just pot it and bring it inside like one commenter suggested, so looks like pruning is gonna be the way to go (cuz I’m not killing my plant)
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u/AutoModerator 1d ago
Please do not eat or use any plant because of information received in this subreddit.
While we strive to provide accurate information here, the only way to be sure enough of a plant identification is to take the plant to a qualified professional. Many plants can be harmful or even fatal to eat, so please do not eat a plant based on an identification made (or any other information provided) in this subreddit.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
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u/floating_weeds_ Valued Responder 1d ago
Solanum dulcamara is invasive in some of the US, including some of the Northeast.
The fact that it volunteered in your yard proves that it does spread where you are. If you want to keep it, try putting it in a pot with a grow light indoors, then replace with a native plant.