Bittersweet nightshade is not edible. Every part of the plant is poisonous to people, pets and livestock.1King County, Washington. Bittersweet nightshade identification and control – King County, Washington Its shiny red berries look a lot like tiny tomatoes, which is exactly why children and curious foragers are tempted.2King County, Washington. Bittersweet nightshade identification and control
Which Parts Are Most Poisonous
Green berries are unripe, orange ones are partly ripe, and red ones are fully ripe.3King County, Washington. Bittersweet nightshade identification and control – King County, Washington The berries are poisonous at every stage but most poisonous while still green.4King County, Washington. Bittersweet nightshade identification and control – King County, Washington The main toxins drop steadily as the berries mature, but not to zero.5University of Ottawa. Toxins as Reproductive Strategies in Bittersweet Nightshade Berries Even ripe berries can be poisonous, and the leaves stay more toxic than the ripe fruit.6King County Noxious Weed Control Program. Bittersweet Nightshade Best Management Practices
The name comes from the berries’ taste, which shifts from bitter to sweet. Bitterness in plants often signals high toxin, but a lack of bitterness doesn’t mean safety, so tasting a berry to identify it is a mistake.
A single cluster often holds green, orange and red berries at once. A child grabbing a handful may get the more toxic green ones along with the red. If you call for help, note which colors were eaten, since green raises concern.
Leaves matter too. A child or pet chewing foliage can take in more poison than the red berries would suggest. Chewed leaves are easy to overlook because they leave no bright stain or missing fruit, so check for torn or chewed foliage as well as berries. The amount of toxin also changes with soil, light, climate and growth stage, so one plant can be stronger than another.7King County Noxious Weed Control Program. Bittersweet Nightshade Best Management Practices
What the Poisons Do to the Body
The whole plant contains solanine, the same toxin found in green potatoes.8King County Noxious Weed Control Program. Bittersweet Nightshade Best Management Practices The berries also hold related natural plant poisons.9University of Ottawa. Toxins as Reproductive Strategies in Bittersweet Nightshade Berries These latch onto cholesterol in cell walls and can make cells leak or burst.10Diagnosis Diet. How Deadly Are Nightshades?
The plant also contains dulcamarine, a compound similar in structure and effect to atropine, a toxin in deadly nightshade.11King County Noxious Weed Control Program. Bittersweet Nightshade Best Management Practices Together these produce a pattern doctors recognize: fast heart, dry skin, fever, enlarged pupils and confusion.12PubMed. Toxic Risks of Nightshade Species: A comprehensive review of the documented toxicity of Atropa belladonna, Solanum dulcamara, and Solanum nigrum Saponins in the plant can also break down red blood cells when large amounts are taken.13EDUKACJA BIOLOGICZNA I ÅšRODOWISKOWA. Wild relatives of potato or less known representatives of the nightshade family (Solanaceae Juss.) Stomach upset comes mostly from these related poisons irritating the gut, while the nerve-related signs come from the atropine-like effect.
Potatoes and tomatoes are in the same family and carry the same kind of toxin, but food crops keep it low enough to be safe. Bittersweet nightshade is a wild plant never bred to lower its toxins. The plant was once used as a laxative and cough remedy, but that use faded because overdoses proved dangerous.
Toxic effects depend on dose relative to body weight, so the same few berries mean more for a toddler or a puppy than for an adult. That’s why a child’s age and weight are among the first things asked when you call for advice.
Symptoms of Bittersweet Nightshade Poisoning
Poisoning from this plant and its relatives most often comes from eating the berries.14PubMed. Toxic Risks of Nightshade Species: A comprehensive review of the documented toxicity of Atropa belladonna, Solanum dulcamara, and Solanum nigrum In children, woody nightshade has caused prolonged high fever and sweating.15PubMed. Plant poisonings in children It is among the plants that caused the most serious symptoms in child poisonings.16PubMed. Plant poisonings in children One 4-year-old who ate a large amount developed a severe crisis that looked like deadly nightshade poisoning, but she responded to treatment in hospital.17PubMed. Anticholinergic toxicity from nightshade berry poisoning responsive to physostigmine
In the hours after eating, early signs can include nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and diarrhea. Flushed, dry skin, fever and big pupils point to the atropine-like effect. Confusion, agitation, unusual sleepiness or a racing heart need emergency care, and breathing trouble or seizures mean calling emergency services immediately.
A stomach bug rarely brings dilated pupils or confusion. Look for berry pieces or stained hands and mouth, and notice whether symptoms started soon after outdoor play near the vine.
Signs often take some time to develop, so a child who seems fine in the first few minutes is not necessarily in the clear. Gut symptoms tend to show up first, with fever, flushing and pupil changes becoming apparent later in heavier cases. If you know something was swallowed, keep the child within sight and keep watching for several hours.
How Dangerous a Few Berries Are for Children
Ripe bittersweet nightshade berries are among the most commonly reported plant swallowings in some US regions.18PubMed. Toxicity of nightshade berries (Solanum dulcamara) in mice In animal tests, ripe berries in limited amounts produced no signs of poisoning, so experts concluded that aggressive treatment for small amounts of ripe berries is usually unnecessary.19PubMed. Toxicity of nightshade berries (Solanum dulcamara) in mice Large amounts, however, have sent a young child into a serious crisis.20PubMed. Anticholinergic toxicity from nightshade berry poisoning responsive to physostigmine The serious cases described in children involved large amounts, not a taste or a single berry.
Still, “often mild” doesn’t mean skip the call. The reassuring findings apply to limited amounts of ripe berries, and a parent rarely knows exactly how many were eaten or whether green ones were among them.
Call Poison Control: in the US the number is 1-800-222-1222, free and open at all hours. They’ll ask the child’s age and weight, how many berries, what color, and when. Many calls end with watching at home and a list of warning signs. A photo of the plant or a berry sample helps with identification.
Don’t make a child vomit or give syrup of ipecac. It was once routine for poisonings like this but is no longer recommended. And don’t wait for symptoms before calling.
What Treatment Involves
Hospital staff check temperature, pulse, breathing and blood pressure and treat symptoms as they appear.21MedlinePlus. Black nightshade poisoning Bring a sample or photo of the plant and berries, your best estimate of how much was eaten and when, and any medicines the person takes. Treatment may include activated charcoal, a drink that soaks up poison in the gut.22MedlinePlus. Black nightshade poisoning Fluids through a vein and breathing support, up to a breathing machine, are used if needed.23MedlinePlus. Black nightshade poisoning An antidote called physostigmine reversed one child’s severe crisis.24PubMed. Anticholinergic toxicity from nightshade berry poisoning responsive to physostigmine Physostigmine is reserved for severe cases where the atropine-like effect is dangerous, not given routinely.
Many people improve within a day with supportive care. Severe cases may need an overnight or longer stay for monitoring. If fever or confusion continues after discharge, call the care team for follow-up.
Dogs, Cats and Livestock
The plant is toxic to pets and livestock as well as people.25King County, Washington. Bittersweet nightshade identification and control – King County, Washington A 10-week-old puppy that chewed it developed weakness, stumbling, tremors, slowed breathing and a mild fever.26PubMed Central. Successful treatment of Solanum dulcamara intoxication in a Labrador retriever puppy With supportive care he recovered and went home.27PubMed Central. Successful treatment of Solanum dulcamara intoxication in a Labrador retriever puppy Some birds eat the berries without trouble, which spreads seeds.28Bird Study. Some aspects of frugivory by bird populations using coastal dune scrub in Lincolnshire That isn’t proof the berries are safe for mammals.
If your dog chews the vine, call your vet or a pet poison line right away. Watch for vomiting, wobbling, trembling or unusual sleepiness, and bring vomited plant material or a sample for identification.
Livestock usually avoid the plant but may eat it when pasture is poor. Clear vines from fence lines and pastures, and watch hay for mixed-in vines.
How to Identify Bittersweet Nightshade
- Growth: a climbing or trailing vine, woody at the base with hollow stems, sometimes reaching 10 feet.29Ohio State University Extension. Bittersweet Nightshade (Solanum dulcamara)30Washington State University Extension. Nightshade: Biology and Control in the Pacific Northwest
- Leaves: dark green, sometimes purplish, up to 4 inches, often with 1 or 2 small ear-like lobes at the base.31King County, Washington. Bittersweet nightshade identification and control32Washington State University Extension. Nightshade: Biology and Control in the Pacific Northwest
- Flowers: clusters of 10 to 25 purple star-shaped flowers with petals bent back and a yellow cone at the center.33Washington State University Extension. Nightshade: Biology and Control in the Pacific Northwest
- Berries: egg-shaped, about half an inch long, turning green to orange to shiny red.34Washington State University Extension. Nightshade: Biology and Control in the Pacific Northwest
Black nightshades look similar in leaf but have white flowers and blackish berries.35Ohio State University Extension. Bittersweet Nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) Purple flowers and red berries, together with the other features, point to bittersweet nightshade. It also favors damp spots like stream banks, swamps and wet hedges.36EDUKACJA BIOLOGICZNA I ÅšRODOWISKOWA. Wild relatives of potato or less known representatives of the nightshade family (Solanaceae Juss.)
The red berries can be mistaken for wild currants or tiny tomatoes, and the purple-and-yellow flower looks like a tomato or potato bloom. Both lobed and unlobed leaves can appear on one plant, so check several. If you can’t name a wild berry with certainty, don’t eat it.
No single feature settles the question, so check growth, leaves, flowers and berries together. Flowers and berries aren’t always present at the same time: a vine in early summer may show only blooms and one in fall only fruit. A vine with only leaves is the hardest to confirm, so treat it as suspect until flowers or fruit appear. Fruit may stay on the vine into the colder months, so the hazard doesn’t end with summer.
Removing It Safely From Your Yard
Bittersweet nightshade spreads by seed and by stems that root where they touch soil.37Ohio State University Extension. Bittersweet Nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) Birds carry seeds after eating the berries.38Bird Study. Some aspects of frugivory by bird populations using coastal dune scrub in Lincolnshire It is invasive in North America after arriving from Europe.39EDUKACJA BIOLOGICZNA I ÅšRODOWISKOWA. Wild relatives of potato or less known representatives of the nightshade family (Solanaceae Juss.) So remove plants before berries ripen, and lift rooting stems along with the main plant.
Wear gloves and long sleeves when handling vines. If berries are already present, bag them first with gloved hands so none are dropped. Pull young plants after rain when the soil is soft, getting the roots. Follow trailing stems and lift every rooted section. Bag berries and plant parts in the trash, not the compost, and return over several seasons for regrowth and seedlings.
Keep children and dogs away during removal, and pick up fallen berries from the ground.