Do you grow it for the leaves. The flowers are too small to make much of a show, eh? Nightshade is poison isn't it?

Nope. I don't grow it at all. It's a weed here --- grows all over the place. But the birds eat the berries as quick as they can! This was growing in the crack of the cement driveway. A very tough weed.

Yes, it's poison.

Actually, it's edible when ripe and has quite a nice flavor, kind of like boysenberries.

When the berries are green, they contain the toxin alkaloid. When ripe, they are edible, as Gabriel notes. It also appears to be native in several parts of the U.S. So, perhaps a weed to some, a welcome plant to others.

Quite right: they are poisonous when young. But fortunately, the toxic alkaloid also tastes absolutely horrible (very bitter), like a potato that has been exposed to sun and has turned green, so there is little risk of you poisoning yourself. I just tasted a green berry and had to spit it out. (Don't worry, I'm fine: it's not so poisonous that it would kill me to taste it, as foxglove and hemlock would be.)

Very interesting Gabriel. I never knew the ripe fruit could be eaten. Thanks for that info.