Bell Canyon Blooms

Purple nightshade, also known as chaparral nightshade and San Diego nightshade, is native to the Western United States in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Oregon, and to northwest Mexico in Baja California. The plant, a member of the solanum family, is deer resistant, due to its toxic qualities. In common with many other members in the Solanaceace family, all parts of the plant are toxic, especially the unripe fruit. Toxicity is from Solanine and glycol-alkaloids, chaconine, and solasodine. There is no antidote for Solanum poisoning.

This highly invasive plant has a lot of aliases…it’s also known as Bokhara Clover, Californian Lucerne, Common Melilot, Hexham Scent, Indian Sweet-clover, King Island Clover, King Island Melilot, Small-flowered Melilot, Small-flowered Sweet Clover, Sour Clover, Sweet Clover and Sweet Melilot. In California, you can expect this plant to bloom April through October.