Lyreleaf nightshade is a hairy climbing nightshade native to East Asia, whose shiny red berries often hang on the vine into winter. Its small white flowers have petals that sweep sharply backward. It isn't known to grow wild in the US.
Appearance
- Appearance
- Stems and leaves are covered in soft hairs, many of them sticky.
- Growth form
- A perennial vine with a woody base that twines over other plants, reaching about 10 ft (3 m).
- Leaves
- Very variable on the same stem: some are simple and egg-shaped, others have two or more lobes near the base, giving a lyre-like outline.
- Flowers
- Star-shaped, about 1/3–1/2 in (0.8–1.3 cm) across, usually white (sometimes purplish), with lobes strongly bent back and a green spot at the base of each lobe.
- Fruit
- A round, glossy, bright red berry about 3/8 in (1 cm) across, ripening in fall.
Look-alikes
Bittersweet nightshadeSolanum dulcamara
Bittersweet nightshade, the climbing nightshade found in the US, has purple flowers and slightly egg-shaped berries, while lyreleaf nightshade usually has white flowers and round berries.
Why they get mixed upBoth are vining nightshades with lobed leaves and red berries.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Forest edges
- Roadsides
- Disturbed ground
- City gardens
- Range
- Native to East Asia: China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and Cambodia. It isn't known to grow wild in the US.
- Preferred conditions
- In its native range it grows from sea level to over 6,500 ft (2,000 m), in many kinds of forest and also as a weed in disturbed places, even city gardens.
Cautions
- Cautions
- The whole plant contains a poison called solanine and is considered toxic.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
More species to explore
Record what you meet and build your own collection
Your photos are kept with their date and place, and you can fill regional albums one species at a time.