Sunberry nightshade is a unique annual plant, long overlooked, but now appreciated for its abundance and culinary uses. Selected in 1909 by the renowned horticulturist Luther Burbank, it was developed specifically to offer a nightshade with edible fruit , unlike the toxic black nightshade, which it closely resembles.

The plant forms a compact and vigorous bushy habit, growing rapidly to about 50 cm in height. It produces an abundance of small, round, dark bluish-purple fruits with a matte appearance, clustered in bunches. These fruits are only edible when fully ripe , at which stage they develop a sweet and pleasant flavor.

In the garden, Sunberry proves surprisingly adaptable. It grows in most soil types, without any particular requirements, and gets off to a quick start once established. Its production is early and sustained, and the plant can sometimes self-seed when conditions are right.