Sticky Nightshade
Solanum sisymbriifolium
Family: Solanaceae
What it is like
Solanum sisymbriifolium is a PERENNIAL growing to 1 m (3ft 3in). It is frost tender. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 1
Where it is found
Naturalised in South-eastern N. America where it grows near sea ports in waste places and on ballast.
S. America - Brazil.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 1
Fruit. The fruit is up to 2cm in diameter.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating:
How it is grown
Succeeds in most soils. Plants are not very hardy outdoors in Britain, though they can be grown as spring-sown annuals. In milder almost frost-free climates they are perennial.
Propagating it: Seed - sow early spring in a warm greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out after the last expected frosts.
Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness:
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
Although no specific mention of toxicity has been seen for this species, it belongs to a genus where many if not all the members have poisonous leaves and sometimes also the unripe fruits.