Deadly Nightshade

     Deadly nightshade is a common, perennial vine that is originally from Eurasia, but is now well established throughout much of North America, including in southeastern Pennsylvania.  This attractive tomato relative is adapted to moist, rich soil and partial shade on the edges of thickets, hedgerows, stream banks, roadsides and ditches.  Vines of this species also grow on some lawns, where they often are unwanted. 
     Deadly nightshade has dark-green, deeply-lobed leaves, six purple, reflexed petals per half-inch flower and yellow, pollen-laden anthers that protrude beyond the petals, offering a striking contrast of colors.  Black and yellow bumble bee workers, hover flies and other kinds of insects come to those blossoms to sip nectar and gather pollen, fertilizing the blooms in the process and creating more beauty.  The bumble bees collect pollen in a hairy basket on each of their back legs.  The pollen appears as an orange lump on each leg.  It and nectar are used to feed bee larvae.
     And as if the flowers and insects are not beauty enough on nightshade vines, their berry-like fruits are beautiful as well.  The pollinated blossoms produce green berries that turn yellow, then orange and finally red as they ripen.  And because the plants are continually growing, there are new flowers all the time, as well as various fruit colors as they ripen not all at once, creating vines that bear a riot of many striking colors.  Nightshade is a lovely vine through the latter half of summer.
     A variety of small, berry-eating birds ingest the ripe fruit of deadly nightshade, though those same fruits are poisonous to people.  American robins, gray catbirds and other kinds of birds can easily see and are drawn to the scarlet berries that are in contrast to the green leaves, adding their feathery beauties and interests to those of the nightshade vines. 
     And those birds spread this species through their droppings.  The birds ingest nightshade fruits, digest the pulp, but pass many of the seeds across the countryside as they fly here and there.  Some of those seeds sprout and become new vines in various locations of suitable habitat.     
     Though disliked by some people, deadly nightshade vines are unmistakable, and beautiful in summer.  And they are food sources to certain insects and small birds, which add to the beauties and intrigues of those plants.