home

Solanum dulcamara - Bittersweet/Woody Nightshade

Phylum: Magnoliophyta - Class: Equisetopsida - Order: Solanales - Family: Solanaceae

Woody Nightshade

Bittersweet, also known as Woody Nightshade, is a member of the same family as the potato and tomato. This relative of the deadly nightshade is also a poisonous plant, but far less so than its notorious cousin.

Description

Climbing to a typical height of 1 to 2m, but occasionally attaining 4m when a suitable support is available, Solanum dulcamara has arrowhead-shaped stalked leaves, sometimes with small basal lobes. The star-shaped flowers, typically 1.3cm across, grow in small clusters; they have recurved purple petals and projecting yellow stamens and styles.

Flowers of Woody Nightshade, west Wales

Initially developing as green berries, in autumn the fruits turn bright red and shiny when ripe.

Fruits of Solanum dulcamara, Woody NIghtshade

Distribution

Bittersweet is common and found throughout Britain and Ireland except in the far north. It is also found in much of Europe, parts of western Asia and North Africa. Elsewhere, including North America, this is an introduced species and in some places it has become seriously invasive.

Habitat

This perennial climbing plant is mainly seen in hedgerows and on moist grassy banks beside rivers, streams and ponds.

Blooming times

In Britain and Ireland, Bittersweet blooms from June until September.

Bittersweet

The pictures shown on this page were taken in West Wales in June and July.

Sue Parker's latest ebook is a revised and enlarged edition of Wild Orchids in The Burren. Full details here...

Buy it for just £5.95 on Amazon...


Wildflowers in the Algarve, an introductory guide, by Sue Parker

Sue Parker's latest ebook is a revised and enlarged second edition of the acclaimed Wildflowers in the Algarve - an introductory guide. Full details here...

Buy it for just £3.95 on Amazon...

Sue Parker's new ebook is a comprehensive and fully revised edition of her acclaimed field guide to the Wild Orchids of Wales. Full details here...

Buy it for just £5.95 on Amazon...

Sue Parker's 5-star acclaimed field guide to the Wild Orchids of the Algarve is now available as an ebook. Full details here...

Buy it for just £5.95 on Amazon...


Please Help Us: If you have found this information interesting and useful, please consider helping to keep First Nature online by making a small donation towards the web hosting and internet costs.

Any donations over and above the essential running costs will help support the conservation work of Plantlife, the Rivers Trust and charitable botanic gardens - as do author royalties and publisher proceeds from books by Pat and Sue.

© 1995 - 2024 First Nature: a not-for-profit volunteer-run resource

Please help to keep this free resource online...

Terms of use - Privacy policy - Disable cookies - Links policy