 flower |
 berries |
 seedling |
 plant |
Eastern Black Nightshade
Life cycle: Annual
Leaves: Egg-shaped with wavy or smooth edges. Often purple underneath leaf.
Stems: Can be smooth or have hairs pressed against surface.
Flowers: Star-shaped white flowers with yellow center.
Roots: Taproot
Comments: Some people eat the black, ripe berries. Immature green berries and foliage may be toxic. Prolific seed producer. Flea beetles prefer feeding on the leaves of nightshade, creating a distinct shot-hole appearance that may be used to identify this weed.
Control
Cultural: Mowing in new lawn plantings. Use mulch in gardens and landscapes
Foliar Herbicides: Products that contain 2,4-D and dicamba (Weed-B-Gone Max, Trimec, WeedStop, and others). Carfentrazone (QuickSilver) may be a good option in new lawn plantings where Kentucky bluegrass has been emerged for at least 7 days.
Soil Herbicides: Corn gluten meal (Preen Vegetable Garden Weed Preventer) may provide some control in gardens.