Hi there,
A friend recently gave me a seedling, which we thought came from her lilac bush. It's been happily growing in my yard, and recently bloomed (which seemed odd, being July in Atlantic Canada).
So now we know it's not what we thought - it has purple and yellow flowers. Can someone please help us identify this?
KD
Personally I like the flowers (and the red berries later on), so I have a small patch of it in my garden.
cheers!
Thanks Cat! :)
It is attractive, I think I'll keep it. Does it grow large?
KD
You like the berries? Do you eat them?
They're poisonous. I prefer to look at them, and leave them for the birds ;P
cheers!
*grin*
Not really, no ;> I think that mine's all of ~3' tall and shrubby ;> If you give it something to climb, it'll happily do that, though.
To quote Richters:
BITTERSWEET Solanum dulcamara
Perennial Uses: medicinal poisonous Sow No:13
A perennial, shrubby plant found in moist areas in the eastern and north-central Americas and in Europe. The flowers are bluish-purple tint in loose, drooping clusters. The scarlet, bitter berries hang on the vine for months after the leaves have fallen and give the plant an attractive appearance in autumn. Ointment made with chamomile is effective for swellings, bruises, sprains and corns. Combined with curled dock it helps skin diseases. Also used for chronic bronchial irritations, asthma and whooping cough. Caution: Use only with supervision: can cause paralysis and respiratory failure.
cheers!
(Grin) You have Solanum dulcamara, climbing nightshade. It is a very common weed. Go ahead and grow one if you think it's pretty. However, be aware that it is somewhat invasive, and it produces poisonous red berries. Iris, Central NY, Zone 5a, Sunset Zone 40 "If we see light at the end of the tunnel, It's the light of the oncoming train." Robert Lowell (1917-1977)
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