Solanum dulcamara / Woody Nightshade Herb

Woody Nightshade (Solanum dulcamara). Also known as bittersweet, bittersweet nightshade and scarlet berry is a herbaceous perennial from the Solanacaea family.

It is native to North Africa, Europe and Asia and now widely naturalised elsewhere, including North America where it is a very invasive weed.

Woody Nightshade is a semi-woody herbaceous perennial vine, which scrambles over other plants, and can reach a height of 1-2 m. The flowers are in loose clusters, star-shaped, with five purple petals and yellow stamens. The red berries are approximately 1 cm long, with an appearance of a tiny tomato. The berries are poisonous to humans and livestock.

It should be used with caution and only under the supervision of a qualified practitioner, this is a poisonous plant that, in excess, paralyzes the central nervous system, slows the heart and respiration, and lowers temperature, causing vertigo, delirium, convulsions and death.