Chichiquelite

This is my second season of growing black nightshade/garden Huckleberry. I have eaten the leaves boiled like greens. They’re delicious however, the berries never turned black. They stay green.
they grow plump and then they turn brown and fall off. Could it be a different variety or am I needing to put something else on the plant to help the berries turn? They are in full sun and seem very happy otherwise.

I planted once and they come back each season among the other plants. Here in the low desert they seem to germinate in fall. By late spring they do attract spider mites so watch out for those. Birds relish the fruit so you may need to cover some to get any to harvest. Tasty berries are good in baked goods or seep in vodka a few weeks for a beautiful cocktail.

I got some chichiquelite from a friend and at first thought it was great. Easy to grow and the fruits are delicious. But now I know that it escapes the garden setting and is invading wildlands. I was surprised to find it in the flood zone of the Santa Cruz River near Ina, nowhere near anyone's garden. Please consider NOT growing this in your garden. Native Seed/Search: Please discontinue selling the seed!

It was so interesting to grow these out this year after getting seedlings from Vilardi Gardens. I love their blueberry-tomato taste, and they're so prolific and easy to grow. I'm going to make a sugar syrup out of the berries. It'll be fun to offer people Nightshade Syrup in their cocktail or on ice cream and assure them that I'm not trying to poison them. ;-)

I have grown these for years....they are a perfect drought resistant plant. I grow them in the ground and in pots. Totally carefree plant, takes little water and provides sweet berries for me, the birds and the chickens. Although they say the leaves are toxic uncooked, the chickens eat them off the plant and never seem to be bothered. They are whitefly and spider mite magnets however and need protection. I have them inside insect net bought from greenhouse megastore.