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Deadly nightshade and bittersweet: toxicity, first aid and care
Deadly nightshade and bittersweet (Atropa belladonna, Solanum dulcamara): severe for cats, severe for dogs, severe for small children. The toxic principle, the signs, what to do, and how to grow it.
Cats: SevereDogs: SevereChildren: SevereEmergency risk
Also sold as: Belladonna, woody nightshade, black nightshade.
This is a reference table, not a diagnosis and not veterinary or medical advice. It cannot tell you how much of a plant matters for a particular child or a particular animal — that depends on body weight, on the part eaten and on how long ago. If a person or an animal has eaten part of a plant, phone the poison information centre or a clinician; do not wait for symptoms, and do not make anyone vomit unless you are told to.
What is in it
Toxic principle: Tropane alkaloids (atropine, hyoscyamine, scopolamine); solanine in Solanum — Alkaloids and other systemic poisons.
Atropa carries the tropane alkaloids that block the parasympathetic nervous system — the same chemistry medicine uses in tiny measured doses. Solanum dulcamara, the scrambling purple-and-yellow-flowered bittersweet that is common on shorelines and waste ground across Estonia and Finland, is a different and milder problem: solanine-type glycoalkaloids that mostly upset the gut. Both produce berries at child height.
What it looks like when it goes wrong
For the tropane alkaloids, a very recognisable picture: wide unreactive pupils, dry mouth, hot dry flushed skin, a racing pulse, agitation and confusion. For bittersweet, vomiting, abdominal pain and drowsiness.
What to do
Phone the poison centre with a description of the plant and, if you can, a photograph or a berry in a bag; if a child has wide pupils, a racing pulse or is behaving strangely, treat it as an ambulance call. For animals, a veterinary clinic. Do not induce vomiting.
| Country | Poison information centre | Number | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estonia | Mürgistusteabekeskus (Health Board) | 16662 | Round the clock; 112 for an emergency |
| Finland | Myrkytystietokeskus (HUS) | 0800 147 111 | Free, round the clock |
| Latvia | Saindēšanās un zāļu informācijas centrs | 67042473 | Round the clock |
| Sweden | Giftinformationscentralen | 010-456 67 00 | Non-urgent advice; 112 in an emergency |
| Norway | Giftinformasjonen | 22 59 13 00 | Round the clock |
| Denmark | Giftlinjen (Bispebjerg Hospital) | 82 12 12 12 | Round the clock |
Anywhere in the European Union, 112 reaches emergency services and can put you through. Lithuania's poison information bureau (Apsinuodijimų kontrolės ir informacijos biuras) publishes its own round-the-clock line; if you do not have it to hand, use 112. For an animal, your own veterinary clinic or its out-of-hours service is the first call — human poison centres do not advise on animals in every country.
How to grow it
| Condition | What it wants |
|---|---|
| Light | Both prefer part shade and disturbed, nutrient-rich ground |
| Water | Neither needs any help from you |
| Temperature | Bittersweet is common in the region; belladonna is scarce and mostly a garden escape |
Neither is a plant to cultivate. The practical task is identification and removal from ground where children play: pull bittersweet with gloves before the berries colour, and grub out the root, because it regrows from fragments.
What it gets confused with
Berry colour is the confusion people get wrong. Belladonna berries are single, glossy, black and sweet-tasting, which is precisely why children eat them; bittersweet berries are red, in small hanging clusters, and bitter. Neither is a bilberry, and neither is edible. If you are unsure what a black berry on a garden weed is, the answer is no.
A plant that is not on the toxic lists
If you are deciding what to keep in a home with a cat, a dog or a small child, this one fills a similar role and is not flagged by the veterinary services.
Others that work the same way
Alkaloids and other systemic poisons — these behave alike, and what you would do about them is alike too.
Autumn crocus
Colchicine
Castor bean
Ricin (in the seed)
Monkshood
Aconitine alkaloids
Sago palm
Cycasin and related azoxyglycosides
True lily and daylily
Unidentified nephrotoxin (cats only)
Yew
Taxine alkaloids
Source: Royal Horticultural Society — potentially harmful garden plants · checked 2026-09-06
Care guidance is standard horticultural practice for a cool-temperate northern climate. Poison-centre numbers are listed on the hub page and are worth confirming against your own country's health service.
Frequently asked questions
Is deadly nightshade toxic to cats?
The veterinary lists rate it "severe" for cats and "severe" for dogs. The toxic principle is tropane alkaloids (atropine, hyoscyamine, scopolamine); solanine in Solanum. Atropa carries the tropane alkaloids that block the parasympathetic nervous system — the same chemistry medicine uses in tiny measured doses. Solanum dulcamara, the scrambling purple-and-yellow-flowered bittersweet that is common on shorelines and waste ground across Estonia and Finland, is a different and milder problem: solanine-type glycoalkaloids that mostly upset the gut.
What should I do if my dog eats deadly nightshade?
Phone the poison centre with a description of the plant and, if you can, a photograph or a berry in a bag; if a child has wide pupils, a racing pulse or is behaving strangely, treat it as an ambulance call. For animals, a veterinary clinic.
Is deadly nightshade dangerous for a small child?
The verdict for a child who chews or swallows part of it is "severe". For the tropane alkaloids, a very recognisable picture: wide unreactive pupils, dry mouth, hot dry flushed skin, a racing pulse, agitation and confusion.
How do you care for deadly nightshade?
Light: Both prefer part shade and disturbed, nutrient-rich ground. Water: Neither needs any help from you. Temperature: Bittersweet is common in the region; belladonna is scarce and mostly a garden escape. Neither is a plant to cultivate. The practical task is identification and removal from ground where children play: pull bittersweet with gloves before the berries colour, and grub out the root, because it regrows from fragments.
What is deadly nightshade confused with?
Berry colour is the confusion people get wrong. Belladonna berries are single, glossy, black and sweet-tasting, which is precisely why children eat them; bittersweet berries are red, in small hanging clusters, and bitter.
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