Is this a Pepper or a Blueberry?

14 years ago

I originally thought this was a wild pepper, like a pequin. The blooms and leaves look like a pepper to me. But the tiny round (1/4 in.) berries ripen directly from green (with light vertical veins in the skins) to dark purple. I have tasted one of the purple ones, carefully, and it was sweet! Lots of tiny edible(?) seeds inside, with purple flesh. This is a low mounding plant, about one ft. tall.

We have this plant growing on our sandy property in NE Texas. It is growing near an overhang, so that it gets sun for a few hours in the morning only. It is growing near where we keep water for washing hands.

Any ideas?

Here is a link that might be useful: unknown berry

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Comments (4)

jaynine
14 years ago
It's a solanum~not sure which one.
planopondnut
Original Author
14 years ago
Ah!!!
Thanks Jaynine. I've been googling Solanum. Maybe it's a Garden Huckleberry? (Solanum nigrum var. melanocerasum)

-Sally
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luvtogrow
14 years ago
i agree with jaynine.
and i think you are right about it being solanum nigrum,
a weed we have alot of here in Au, common name 'blackberry nightshade'.
solanum are generally poisonous, so i wouldn't eat them.
though apparently its the green fruit that are most toxic and become less as they ripen.
hope i am helpful.
planopondnut
Original Author
14 years ago
I found this interesting article on several variations of black nightshade. Some of the ripe berries are just vaguely sweet, or have a metallic aftertaste, though. Not like what I have.

The Chichiquelite (aka Miltomate Vallisto) might be closer to it. They are completely sweet, with glossy green berries (the Sunberry has dull green berries), hanging down (the Garden Huckleberry has berries that are more upright). But my flowers are white, not tinged with lavender.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sunberry