Virginia Tech Dendrology

bitter nightshade Solanaceae Solanum dulcamara L. symbol: SODU
Leaf: Alternate, simple, entire margins, (2 to 4 inches) broadly ovate often with basal lobes, dark green above and lighter below, hairless.
Flower: Hanging clusters, each flower about 3/4 inch across, bright purple petals (occasionally white), yellow anthers, attractive, appearing all summer.
Fruit: Hanging cluster of bright red, egg-shaped berries (3/8 to 1/2 inch long), ripen throughout the summer and fall.
Twig: Initially green, turning light brown, hollow pith, quite stiff, single bundle scar.
Bark: Light brown, thin and lenticeled.
Form: Low climbing, scrambling, sprawling vine often draping low over trees and shrubs.

Additional Range Information: Solanum dulcamara is planted in the USDA hardiness zones shown above and may seed into the landscape. Download the full-size PDF map.
More Information: Fall Color
External Links: USDAFS FEIS Silvics - USDA Plants Database
All material 2021 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information