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Parish's Nightshade
Solanum parishii
  
1 Nurseries Carry This Plant

About Parish's Nightshade (Solanum parishii) 1 Nurseries Carry This Plant Parish's Nightshade (Solanum parishii) is a native shrub in the Solanaceae (Nightshade) family that grows in primarily in two disjunct regions, the mountains and valleys of northern California and the chaparral of southernmost California. It occurs from sea level up to elevations of 6,000 feet. A closely related species is Solanum xanti, and their ranges overlap in the southern counties. There are also several non-native species of Solanum that look very similar. Some are sold under the common name Potato Plant. The flowers of Solanum parishii are small but attractive. As with many other members of this family, the plant is poisonous to humans and some other animals, especially the fruits. Be cautious in using it where children or pets may have access. Due to the poisonous nature of many nightshades, tomatoes (also a member of the Solanaceae) were thought to be equally toxic by many North Americans as late as the early eighteenth century.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Shrub

Size
Size
3.3 ft tall
1 - 5 ft wide

Fragrance
Fragrance
Fragrant - Pleasant

Flower Color
Flower Color
Purple

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Winter, Spring

Wildlife Supported
 
Numerous insects are attracted to Solanum flowers. Various birds and small mammals are attracted to the fruits.

 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 33 likely * ) SHOW ALL
*
Hyles lineata Image
White-lined Sphinx Hyles lineataHyles lineata
*
Autographa californica Image
Alfalfa Looper Moth Autographa californicaAutographa californica
*
Manduca sexta Image
Carolina Sphinx Manduca sextaManduca sexta
*
Mythimna unipuncta Image
Armyworm Moth Mythimna unipunctaMythimna unipuncta
*
Feltia subterranea Image
Subterranean Dart Feltia subterraneaFeltia subterranea
*
Pyrrharctia isabella Image
Isabella Tiger Moth Pyrrharctia isabellaPyrrharctia isabella
*
Agrotis ipsilon Image
Ipsilon Dart Agrotis ipsilonAgrotis ipsilon

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun, Part Shade

Moisture
Moisture
Very Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 2x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries
Carried by 1

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 5° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast, Medium, Slow

Soil Description
Soil Description
Tolerates a wide variety of soils including clay, sand, loam and decomposed granite

Common uses
Common uses
Bird Gardens

Companion Plants
Companion Plants
In northern California: Use with woodland species such as Maple (Acer sp.), Serviceberry (Amelanchier sp.), Madrone (Arbutus menziesii), Manzanita (Arctostaphylos sp.), Pipevine (Aristolochia californica), Spice Bush (Calycanthus occidentalis), Bush Anemone (Carpenteria californica), Ceanothus sp., Mock Orange (Philadelphus lewisii), Pine (Pinus sp.), and Oak (Quercus sp.)

In southern California: Use with chaparral species such as Manzanita (Arctostaphylos or Xylococcus sp.), Ceanothus sp., Dudleya sp., Brittlebush (Encelia californica), Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia), Sticky Monkeyflower (Mimulus aurantiacus), Scrub Oak (Quercus berberiidifolia or dumosa), Lemonade Berry (Rhus integrifolia), Sage (Salvia sp.), Yucca (Hesperoyucca and Yucca sp.) and various cactus species

Sunset Zones
Sunset Zones?
1, 2, 3, 7, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
In its northern range it is found in rugged, forested, mountainous areas. In its southern range it occurs as part of the xeric chaparral community from the immediate coast to the foothills and higher mountains.

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 9.5" - 153.2", Summer Precipitation: 0.18" - 5.92", Coldest Month: 33.7" - 56.4", Hottest Month: 54.7" - 80.3", Humidity: 0.20" - 28.85", Elevation: 0" - 7466"

Alternative Names
Common Names: Parish's Purple Nightshade, Potato Plant


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Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links:   Jepson eFlora Taxon Page  CalPhotos  Wikipedia  Calflora


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