What is this berry?

Tova Pearl
by Tova Pearl
This grows in huge bushes along my block. Little dark blue berries come after white flowers which are fairly stinky when they bloom.
  18 answers
  • Barb Barb on Dec 22, 2016

    Shalom : This berry is called ` Night Shack ( Solanum spp ) It is very toxic and dangerous to eat . Very pretty to look at but Do Not Eat !!!

  • Deb Davis Deb Davis on Dec 22, 2016

    We call it Night Shade, very toxic, especially to animals. When I was a kid one of our horses ate this and died. Do everyone a favor and eradicate it.

    • Deb Davis Deb Davis on Dec 24, 2016

      I stand corrected, after a second look this is not night shade as someone else stated this is more of a vine.

  • Shaza Lee Shaza Lee on Dec 22, 2016

    black nightshade is not that toxic.... I am not suggesting you eat them.. but read this article.. plus many birds eat them over the winter.http://www.eattheweeds.com/american-nightshade-a-much-maligned-edible/


    • Brenda Bickerstaff Brenda Bickerstaff on Dec 26, 2016

      Not that toxic? Some people are very allergic to poison ivy while others can lay down in it. Just something to keep in mind


  • Laura Laura on Dec 23, 2016

    I don't think this is Night Shade. Night Shade is a vine and has pale purple flowers and, yes, is poisonous .


    http://kingofwallpapers.com/nightshade/nightshade-001.jpg


    I believe this is Privet, a common hedgerow shrub, like Viburnum.


  • Cathy Halbert Cathy Halbert on Dec 23, 2016

    I agree Laura this looks to woody to be nightshade. Looks more like a hedge type plant.


  • Dar Dar on Dec 23, 2016

    I tend to agree with Laura. Looks like Privet Hedge. Very invasive.

  • Sharonhull Sharonhull on Dec 23, 2016

    There are many plants that are called Night Shade (genus is Solanum) and though many of them are indeed toxic, the genus also includes some of our favorite edibles, for example tomatoes and potatoes. Some are vines, some are shrubs, some are perennials & annuals. That said, the plant in question is not a Night Shade which has leaves arranged alternately along the stems. This plant has opposite leaves and it is what is commonly called a Privet (Ligustrum is the genus); Laura of NJ has it right. Birds do eat the fruit but the plant can become an invasive pest when the seeds are spread and tiny privet seedlings sprout everywhere, crowding out native plants in our wild places, and more desirable plants in our gardens. Still, it is widely used as hedges and barrier plants because it tough, drought-tolerant and adaptable to many conditions. Sharon, horticulturist, Santa Cruz CA

  • Lorisa Shook-Smith Lorisa Shook-Smith on Dec 23, 2016

    I have what i was told was privet the flower is some what like a honey suckle with a similar fragrance, it got it as a sapling 3 years ago and has only gotten to little over 5 ft tall and not had any other seedlings but I also have tons of birds and actual honey suckle that puts out berries it is a wild that i transplanted, are the berries from either poisonous?

  • Sheila D Sheila D on Dec 23, 2016

    Check you local county extension service

  • Roxanne Clifton Roxanne Clifton on Dec 23, 2016

    Viburnum.

  • Sharonhull Sharonhull on Dec 24, 2016

    Taking another look at the photos, I see that Roxanne is right too. The top photo is Viburnum, the bottom photo is Privet. You have 2 different species growing on your block, Tova.

  • Oberlinmom Oberlinmom on Dec 24, 2016

    The top photo I agree is possibly a Viburnum and the flowers are pretty smelly. I don't think the bottom is a Privet I believe it is an American Elder.

  • Looks very closely related to Texas Privet that I have in my front yard. There are many varieties, some toxic, some not. Do you have a good nursery that you could take a clipping to? As you can see from the responses so far, quite a controversy. I make no claims as an expert, just comparing as to what I have growing in my yard. Good luck!

  • Maryvonne Guillemois Maryvonne Guillemois on Dec 26, 2016

    Partage tes pensées!

  • ObiaMan ObiaMan on Dec 28, 2016

    From reading here I have my doubts now. But it looks just like my blueberry plants. Looks like blueberries. The leaves seem a little bigger than mine but the growth pattern is very similar. I live in deep south and I'm thinking it's around May to July that they're fruiting. Mine are about 5 to 8 years old and they're between about 5 and 8 feet tall, real bushy, sending new shoots from the ground. I definitely could be mistaken. I've never seen a privet with blue berries. Oh, I just read about the stinky white flowers. I never experienced that so it might not be blueberries.

  • Eloise Eloise on Dec 30, 2016

    I've had good luck with this app. Can be used with either android or IOS phones.

    http://www.gardenanswers.com/

  • Robby Treichel Robby Treichel on Dec 31, 2016

    I'm not familiar with Night Shade or Privet, but I do have Blue Berry bushes. This is not regular BB but may be wild blue berries or maybe even a variety of Oregon Grape. The pictures of Night Shade have very black shiny berries and yours are clearly blue and have a more dull appearance. Not much help here, but look into it further. Your county should have a conservation extension agency, or something like that, which would identify it for you for free.