Nightshade is a family of plants that includes tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, and peppers. Tobacco is also in the nightshade family. Nightshades are unique because they contain small amounts of alkaloids.
Alkaloids are chemicals that are mainly found in plants. For something to be considered an alkaloid, it must contain nitrogen and affect the human body, usually from a medicinal perspective. Morphine and quinine are two examples of plant-based medicines that contain alkaloids. HOWEVER, even though these wild nightshades are related to many vegetables that are safe to eat, these are not. First, the fruit looks like little red tomatoes but as they ripen they turn a deep purple and many children are drawn to them because of their color.
