Black Nightshade
Solanum nigrum
An herbaceous annual or short-lived perennial plant featuring alternate, ovate to lanceolate green leaves with wavy or smooth margins, small white five-petaled star-shaped flowers with yellow stamens, and spherical berries that transition from green to glossy black or dark purple upon maturity.
- Light
- Full sun to partial shade, approximately 6 hours of direct sunlight daily
- Water
- Moderate watering frequency, keeping the soil evenly moist. Allow the top inch of soil to dry out between watering sessions; avoid prolonged waterlogging.
- Growth
- Herbaceous annual or short-lived perennial with an erect, branching growth habit, reaching mature heights of 30 to 90 centimeters and a spread of roughly 30 to 60 centimeters, exhibiting a rapid growth rate
Care instructions
Provide full sun to partial shade, keep soil consistently moist but well-draining, and maintain neutral to slightly acidic soil conditions. Feed lightly with a balanced general-purpose fertilizer during the active growing season if grown as an ornamental.
Growing details
Sunlight
Full sun to partial shade, approximately 6 hours of direct sunlight daily
Watering
Moderate watering frequency, keeping the soil evenly moist. Allow the top inch of soil to dry out between watering sessions; avoid prolonged waterlogging.
Soil
Well-draining loamy or sandy soil rich in organic matter, with a preferred pH range of 6.0 to 7.0
Hardiness zone
USDA Hardiness Zones 3 through 10, often grown as an annual in colder temperate climates
Growth habit
Herbaceous annual or short-lived perennial with an erect, branching growth habit, reaching mature heights of 30 to 90 centimeters and a spread of roughly 30 to 60 centimeters, exhibiting a rapid growth rate
Bloom season
Flowers from mid-summer to autumn, producing small, drooping clusters of star-shaped white flowers with prominent yellow anthers
Propagation
Propagated easily from seeds sown directly in soil during the spring after the final frost, or through self-seeding
Common pests & issues
Susceptible to common garden pests such as aphids, spider mites, and flea beetles, as well as fungal issues like powdery mildew in overly humid conditions
Similar species
Similar to other members of the Solanum genus such as Eastern black nightshade (Solanum ptycanthum) and hairy nightshade (Solanum physalifolium), distinguished primarily by subtle variations in calyx lobes, pubescence, and anther coloration