Nightshade plants have a reputation for being poisonous.
There are also specimens that are quite edible when cooked.
We explain what to look out for.
Nightshade plants are known to many garden fans and amateur cooks.
Because while some of these plants or their fruits are edible, eating others can quickly prove fatal.
We therefore explain everything that belongs to the nightshade family and how dangerous they really are.
Nightshade family: The poisonous plants among food
Nightshade family (Solanaceae) are a family of plants that includes various genera and many more species. So it's no wonder that the nightshade family includes both tasty, edible plants and poisonous specimens. Nightshade plants are characterized by their
five-fold flowers with overgrown sepals
and also
five stamens
. The plants have been used for a long time and some are feared. For example, the aubergine in Europe was initially viewed critically and only found its way onto German plates late.
In nightshade plants, people also valued the
medicinal properties
, the partly edible components and the intoxicating effects of some plants.
Many of them belonged to the magic plants, also numerous
extremely poisonous representatives
can be found among the nightshade plants
.
We still encounter plants of the plant family in our own kitchens every day, so it is interesting to see what all belong to the nightshade family.
Well-known nightshade plants are, for example:
potatoes
Eggplant
tomatoes
paprika
Angel trumpet
petunia
Deadly nightshade
Thorn apple
tobacco
And many, many more.
As you can see: nightshade plants actually contain everything that we encounter every day, indoors and outdoors.
The distinguishing feature is always the flower; if you know its shape, you will even recognize it with a little imagination in plants like the angel's trumpet.
What also becomes clear: Among them are some poisonous plants.
So when are the nightshade family harmless and when are they deadly?
And where is the limit?
Gardening advisor
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The deadly nightshade is probably the best-known nightshade plant.
© M. Henning / Imago
Nightshade family: Poisonous plants with some deadly effects
Nightshade plants can be great medicinal plants; others, on the other hand, kill even if only small amounts are consumed. The angel's trumpet, for example, should never be near animals or children. The name Nightshade leaves some leeway in its interpretation, because it is not clear where it comes from. On the one hand it could have something to do with the appearance of the dark fruits of some plants, on the other hand it can also be related to nocturnal headaches due to the smell of the nightshade family. The meaning of the scientific name is also unclear, it could refer to both sun and relief or comfort.
Just as ambivalent as the name are some of the plants themselves. The deadly nightshade, for example. Atropa belladonna, the black deadly nightshade, is also appropriately called forest nightshade, owes its name to a Greek goddess of fate and is theoretically poisonous. However, deadly nightshade was also used
as a medicinal plant
, as well as a magic plant. Hildegard von Bingen connects them with the devil, while other authors point to their use in the area of the eyes. Atropa belladonna, for example, was used to dilate the pupils. Atropine is still used in medicine today.
The example shows: It is not that simple with the poisonous nightshade family.
However, many of the alkaloids in nightshade plants are very poisonous, for example all parts of the angel's trumpet plant.
In low doses, they can
trigger hallucinations
, but the transition to the lethal dose is more or less fluid, and the dangerous effects can last for days.
Nature fans in particular should know that, because nightshade plants are often found in the garden and in nature.
The most poisonous nightshade plants are:
Angel trumpet
Deadlyweed / chicken death / henbane
Mandrake
Deadly nightshade
Thorn apple
(Tobacco)
You can basically grow some of these plants in the garden, although mandrakes are hard to come by.
The thorn apple should not be cultivated in the garden, but the angel's trumpet is a popular ornamental plant.
Henbane can also be part of the ornamental garden or a garden of witch plants, as long as it is tagged and not accidentally harvested.
The deadly nightshade, on the other hand, has no place in the garden, you should also know it in the forest and avoid the fruits.
Also interesting
: if you forget this thing while growing vegetables, there is a risk of diseases and pests.
Nightshade family: The edible representatives
In principle, nightshade plants are not bad, but the poisonous representatives should never be used by laypeople.
Medicine knows the exact possible uses and dosages that are safe for this.
The situation is different with edible nightshade plants.
This includes, for example,
eggplants, peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, goji berries, chillies, physalis
and a few more.
They all contain slightly toxic substances and are therefore usually only edible in certain degrees of ripeness or preparation methods.
Basically, the solanine content decreases with the ripeness of the fruit, so eggplants, for example, should never be harvested unripe.
In the case of potatoes, you should cut off green areas or throw away the whole potato.
You should also only eat both fruits cooked.
In general:
the amount is decisive
.
Fruits that can be eaten raw should always be ripe.
People with intolerance should also be careful.
According to Stiftung Warentest, symptoms of slight poisoning by nightshade plants can be digestive disorders or scratching the throat.
Glycoalkaloids can also lead to restlessness, faster breathing and drowsiness from one milligram per kilogram of body weight.
However, modern breeds of many useful plants usually only contain small amounts of questionable ingredients and are therefore safer for consumption.
Nothing stands in the way of growing various delicious nightshade plants in the garden.
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Also read:
This plant tastes and smells like cola - and this is how you grow it
.
List of rubric lists: © M. Henning via www.imago-images.de
