Nightshade refers to a large family of plants that includes some of the world's most important food crops alongside some of its deadliest poisons. Tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, and peppers all belong to the nightshade family, which might surprise you since they're so common in kitchens everywhere.

The name comes from certain wild nightshades that are genuinely dangerous. Deadly nightshade, also called belladonna, produces attractive purple berries that contain powerful toxins. Even a few berries can make someone extremely sick. This is why you should never eat wild berries unless an expert confirms they're safe.

The nightshade family shows how complex nature can be: the same plant family gives us pizza sauce and French fries, but also contains highly toxic plants. People once feared tomatoes were poisonous precisely because they're nightshades. For centuries, Europeans grew tomatoes only as decorations, not understanding that the fruit was perfectly safe to eat while other parts of the plant were not.

When gardeners today talk about nightshades, they're usually discussing which vegetables to rotate in their garden beds, since nightshade crops share similar growing needs and pests. Most nightshades you'll encounter are sitting harmlessly in your kitchen or refrigerator.