Garden Huckleberry / Wonderberry - Solanum Nigrum - Aromatic & Sweet
Quantity: 30+ Seeds
Solanum Nigrum, also known the Black Nightshade, is a plant in the solanaceae (nightshade) family. Although it originates in Eurasia, this plant has travelled and naturalized itself across the globe. The berries have a very unique and delicious flavour, and give off the most divine aroma. They can be eaten and enjoyed fresh, but their flavour really shines when the ripe berries are picked as a cluster, and then left on a surface to further ripen until they shrivel like raisins; this really brings out their sweetness and complex flavours. When dried, they make an excellent addition to trail mixes, or can just be eaten plain by themselves. The fresh berries also make an excellent tasting jam.
There is a lot of misinformation about this berry, as many people often confuse it with the deadly nightshade, even though the two species look nothing alike. Although the unripe berries should not be consumed, The dark ripe berries are completely safe to eat in large quantities by both adults and children.
All seeds are organic and open pollinated.
Growing Instructions
For the highest yields, It’s best to start Solanum Nigrum seeds indoors about 6-8 weeks before the last frost; we start them here on the farm in mid march. It's good to sow them in a sterile growing medium; most available seed starting soils should do the job nicely; we use sunshine mix (peat moss and perlite). The soil should be made moist, but not damp. Sow the seeds on the surface for best results, or at most 1/8 inch below the soil surface. Store in a warm area until tiny sprouts emerge from the soil. A heat mat greatly aids in this step, but is not necessary. Seeds can take up to 2 weeks to germinate, but may take less time too. Once germinated, and the first true leaf has formed, it's time to pot up to a larger container that contains a good quality potting soil. Transplant to their final location when the nighttime temperatures are consistently 8°C or higher; for us at the farm, this is around early May.