Question

whole plant  

flowers   Hi,

I live in Eastern Washington State and have a vine growing on our garden fence that resembles pictures of the Wolfberry except that the plant is a vine and has no thorns. The flowers are small, purple and have 5 petals.  The berries start out green and turn bright red when ripe.  It appears that the berries are being eaten by birds and perhaps small critters.

I would appreciate any help you can give us in indentifying this plant. I am attaching a couple of pictures in the hopes that they will help with identification.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Thank you,
Debbie

Answer
Hi Debbie,

This is definitely a member of the Nightshade family.  It is Bittersweet (Solanum Dulcamara).  It's toxic to humans and livestock, but birds eat it and scatter the seeds with no ill effects.  It's a pretty native plant, and is often used by florists in wreaths and arrangements.  Use google images to see more photos.

Thanks,

Susan