Quercus

Bittersweet Nightshade

Solanum dulcamara

Not native to Kentucky

Do not plant. Listed invasive in Kentucky.

Plant this instead

Choose your county to list local plants first.

More natives for your garden

Check a whole list of plants

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

65CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including KY

Genus host records with ranges including KY · Solanum

  • Abagrotis alternataGreater Red Dart, Mottled Grey Cutworm
  • Agrotis gladiariaSwordsman Dart, Clay-Backed Cut-Worm
  • Agrotis ipsilonIpsilon Dart, Black Cutworm, Greasy Cutworm
  • Agrotis malefidaRascal Dart, Pale-Sided Cut-Worm, Shagreened Cut-Worm
  • Agrotis vetustaOld Man Dart
  • Amyna strictaEight-Spot Moth
  • Anarta trifoliiThe Nutmeg, Clover Cutworm
  • Anicla infectaGreen Cutworm Moth
  • Anomis flavaTropical Anomis Moth
  • Automeris ioIo Moth
Show all 65
  • Bellura obliquaCattail Border Moth, Cattail Diver
  • Chloridea subflexaSubflexus Straw, Groundcherry Sun Moth
  • Chloridea virescensTobacco Budworm Moth
  • Chrysodeixis includensSoybean Looper Moth
  • Clepsis peritanaGarden Tortrix
  • Diaphania hyalinataMelonworm Moth
  • Elasmopalpus lignosellaLesser Cornstalk Borer
  • Enigmogramma basigeraPink-Washed Looper Moth
  • Estigmene acreaSalt Marsh Moth, Acrea Moth
  • Euxoa detersaRubbed Dart, Sandhill Cutworm
  • Euxoa messoriaReaper Dart, Darksided Cutworm, Dark-Sided Cutworm
  • Euxoa tessellataTessellate Dart, Striped Cutworm
  • Euzophera ostricolorellaTulip-Tree Borer, Root Collar borer
  • Feltia herilisMaster's Dart
  • Feltia jaculiferaDingy Cutworm
  • Feltia subgothicaSubgothic Dart
  • Feltia subterraneaSubterranean Dart, Granulate Cutworm
  • Frumenta nundinellaMottled Twirler
  • Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
  • Heliothis phloxiphagaSpotted Straw Sun Moth, Darker Spotted Straw Moth
  • Herpetogramma bipunctalisSouthern Beet Webworm, Two-Spotted Herpetogramma
  • Hyles lineataWhite-Lined Sphinx
  • Hymenia perspectalisSpotted Beet Webworm
  • Hypena scabraGreen Cloverworm Bomolocha, Black Snout
  • Keiferia inconspicuellaEgg Plant Leaf-Miner, Tomato Leaf-Folder
  • Lacanobia subjunctaSpeckled Arches, Subdues Arches, Harnessed Mamestra, Speckled Cutworm Moth, Grand Arches?(incorrectly)
  • Lineodes integraEggplant Leafroller
  • Lipocosma sicalisBrown-Banded Lipocosmodes
  • Manduca quinquemaculatusFive-Spotted Hawkmoth, Tomato Hornworm
  • Manduca sextaCarolina Sphinx, Tomatoe Sphinx, Tobacco Hornworm
  • Melanchra pictaPainted Arches, Zebra Caterpillar Moth
  • Mythimna unipunctaArmyworm Moth, White Speck
  • Nephelodes miniansBronzed Cutworm
  • Papaipema cataphractaBurdock Border, Potato-Stalk Borer
  • Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
  • Papaipema nelitaConeflower Borer
  • Platynota idaeusalisTufted Apple-Bud Moth
  • Pyrrharctia isabellaIsabella Tiger Moth, Banded Woolybear
  • Sparganothis sulfureanaSparganothis Fruitworm Moth, Sulfur Leafroller, False Yellow-Head
  • Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
  • Spodoptera albulaWhite-Spotted Armyworm, Gray-Streaked Armyworm
  • Spodoptera dolichosSweetpotato Armyworm, Dolichos Armyworm, Large Cotton Armyworm
  • Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera latifasciaOrange-Striped Armyworm, Velvet Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
  • Striacosta albicostaWestern Bean Cutworm
  • Symmetrischema striatellaStreaked Twirler
  • Synanthedon rileyanaRiley's Clearwing
  • Trichoplusia niNi Moth, Cabbage Looper Moth
  • Urbanus proteusLong-Tailed Skipper, Bean Leaf Roller
  • Vanessa carduiPainted Lady, Cosmopolite
  • Xestia c-nigrumSpotted Cut-Worm, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Lesser Black-letter Dart
  • Xestia dolosaGreater Black-Letter Dart, Greater Spotted Cutworm
  • Isophrictis similiella
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
—Specialist beesPollen specialists
37BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Solanum

  • Agelaius phoeniceusRed-winged Blackbird
  • Alectoris chukarChukar
  • Anser albifronsGreater White-fronted Goose
  • Callipepla californicaCalifornia Quail
  • Catharus guttatusHermit Thrush
  • Catharus minimus/bicknelliGray-cheeked/Bicknell's Thrush
  • Catharus ustulatusSwainson's Thrush
  • Coccothraustes vespertinusEvening Grosbeak
  • Cyrtonyx montezumaeMontezuma Quail
  • Haemorhous mexicanusHouse Finch
Show all 37
  • Ixoreus naeviusVaried Thrush
  • Junco hyemalisDark-eyed Junco
  • Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
  • Melospiza melodiaSong Sparrow
  • Melozone crissalisCalifornia Towhee
  • Molothrus aterBrown-headed Cowbird
  • Oreortyx pictusMountain Quail
  • Ortalis vetulaPlain Chachalaca
  • Passerculus sandwichensisSavannah Sparrow
  • Perdix perdixGray Partridge
  • Pheucticus ludovicianusRose-breasted Grosbeak
  • Pheucticus melanocephalusBlack-headed Grosbeak
  • Pinicola enucleatorPine Grosbeak
  • Pipilo maculatusSpotted Towhee
  • Sialia mexicanaWestern Bluebird
  • Sialia sialisEastern Bluebird
  • Spinus psaltriaLesser Goldfinch
  • Spizella passerinaChipping Sparrow
  • Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin
  • Tympanuchus phasianellusSharp-tailed Grouse
  • Tyrannus tyrannusEastern Kingbird
  • Vireo griseusWhite-eyed Vireo
  • Vireo olivaceusRed-eyed Vireo
  • Zenaida asiaticaWhite-winged Dove
  • Zenaida macrouraMourning Dove
  • Zonotrichia atricapillaGolden-crowned Sparrow
  • Zonotrichia leucophrysWhite-crowned Sparrow
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Solanaceae
Hardiness
Zones 4a–8b
Soil pH
Acidic to alkaline
Flower color
Purple or white

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Climbing Bittersweet; Climbing Nightshade

Conservation status

Kentucky rankSNA
Global rankGNR
KY statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Sources