Solanum umbelliferum
Blue witch nightshade
(c) Adam J. Searcy, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Solanaceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Solanum umbelliferum (Blue witch nightshade) is a native California subshrub in the Solanaceae family, recognized by including its own varieties. Variable species distinguished by large blue-purple flowers.
Blue witch nightshade is a California native perennial found in northwestern California, the central valley delta region, central western, and southwestern California in shrubland, mixed-evergreen forest, and woodland at elevations below 1,600 meters. Flowering all year, this plant produces lavender to blue-purple (occasionally white) flowers 15 to 50 millimeters in diameter with distinctive green spots and white margins at the base of each corolla lobe. Growing as a shrub or herb up to 3 meters tall, it is often much-branched with variable hairiness ranging from glabrous to long-hairy. Its leaves vary widely from linear to widely ovate, 1 to 11 centimeters long, with margins that can be entire or irregularly lobed and sometimes wavy or crinkled. The fruit is a spherical berry 12 to 40 millimeters in diameter, which can appear green, white, yellow, or purple-black when mature.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 23 sympatric species including its own varieties. Variable species distinguished by large blue-purple flowers.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Shrubland, mixed-evergreen forest, woodland
Elevation: < 1600 m.
California counties: Los Angeles, Riverside, Ventura, Kern, Alameda, San Bernardino, Santa Clara, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Orange, Lake, Fresno, Contra Costa, Santa Barbara, Mariposa, Amador, Mono, San Benito, Modoc, Tehama, Siskiyou, Tuolumne, Trinity, Monterey, Humboldt, Tulare, Santa Cruz, Butte, Inyo, Shasta, Yolo, Calaveras, Sonoma, Sutter, Alpine, Placer, Napa, San Joaquin, Mendocino, Solano, Marin, Glenn, San Francisco, Nevada, Sierra, Plumas, Colusa, El Dorado, Madera, Merced, Stanislaus, Del Norte, Kings
Outside California: Arizona, Baja California.
Bloom period
Solanum umbelliferum blooms All year.
How to tell it apart
vs Lycianthes: Solanum anthers open by pores at tips; Lycianthes anthers split lengthwise.; vs Physalis: Solanum lacks papery lantern around fruit; Physalis has distinctive inflated calyx covering the berry.; vs Phacelia: Solanum has yellow anther cone; Phacelia has protruding stamens and coiled flower clusters.; vs Capsicum: Solanum has rotate star flowers; Capsicum has flowers with spreading petals not forming flat star.; vs Salvia: Solanum has 5 stamens forming yellow cone; Salvia has 2 stamens and square stems.
Frequently asked questions
Is Solanum umbelliferum native to California?
Yes. Solanum umbelliferum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Solanum umbelliferum bloom?
Solanum umbelliferum blooms All year.
Where in California does Solanum umbelliferum grow?
Solanum umbelliferum occurs in Los Angeles, Riverside, Ventura, Kern, Alameda, San Bernardino, Santa Clara, San Diego and other counties, at elevations of < 1600 m..
What plant family does Solanum umbelliferum belong to?
Solanum umbelliferum is in the Solanaceae family, genus Solanum.
What habitat does Solanum umbelliferum grow in?
Solanum umbelliferum grows in Shrubland, mixed-evergreen forest, woodland.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Solanum umbelliferum var. clokeyi — Clokey's nightshade
- Solanum umbelliferum var. glabrescens — Bald blue-witch nightshade
- Solanum umbelliferum var. hoffmannii — Hoffmann's nightshade
- Solanum umbelliferum var. incanum — White-stemmed nightshade
- Solanum umbelliferum var. obispoense — Obispo nightshade
- Solanum umbelliferum var. spencerae — Parish nightshade
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.