A warm-season member of the nightshade family (Solanaceae) — a relative of tomato, potato, and pepper — grown for its showy, glossy edible berries that range from white and green through deep purple to nearly black depending on cultivar. The plant is technically a tender herbaceous perennial but is grown as an annual vegetable across most of North America, where it demands a long, hot, frost-free season to fruit well. Drooping violet star-shaped flowers give way to the familiar pendant fruit; the leaves, flowers, stems, and roots are toxic and only the fruit is eaten.

Sources & citations

Community photos

Plotwright

Climate-aware plant planning — every plant checked against your zone now and in 2050.