Do you still recognize this little fruit? Tell us what it's called in your hometown.

Most snacks nowadays contain additives, so people prefer to choose natural dried-fruit snacks, but most of the dried fruits on the market are processed and contain sodium cyclamate and preservatives.

If you grow one or two easy-care, tasty little fruits at home, it's truly healthy and saves money. For those with young children at home, it's even more worth growing one: delicious and nutritious, full of childlike fun, and it lets kids get closer to plants and learn something.

Fruits like lemons, oranges and dragon fruit take a long time to bear fruit in pots and also take up quite a bit of space. Among herbaceous plants, besides strawberries and blueberries, here is another option.

Many people saw the black nightshade plant when they were children, but it is very rare in cities now. It is an annual herbaceous plant that bears fruit in autumn; the fruit is deep purple-black and tastes sweet and juicy.

It has many names: Hei Tian Tian, Hei You You, wild eggplant, wild grape, black navel...

After eating so much fruit from the market, growing a little plant like this at home makes guests who see it very happy, and your child's friends are even more envious, saying they want to go home and ask their mother to grow one for them too.

Black nightshade berries have a high sugar content and are rich in amino acids (protein must be broken down into amino acids to be useful to the human body), high-quality vitamin A and C, as well as B and B2; their amino acid and vitamin content is much higher than that of potatoes and tomatoes.

Besides these, black nightshade berries contain many mineral elements: potassium, sodium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, iodine and other trace elements. Their protein, starch and pectin are all higher than those of apples and grapes.

Eating black nightshade berries regularly can provide a relatively comprehensive supply of nutrients for the human body and boost immunity.

The tender leaves of black nightshade are also a nutritious vegetable, but they contain solanine (the same toxin found in sprouted potatoes), so they must be blanched in boiling water before eating to avoid poisoning.

Black nightshade commonly grows in moist, shady places in rural areas. It is now planted on a large scale for medicinal use, because it can not only resist and inhibit various bacteria, but also clear heat and detoxify, invigorate blood and reduce swelling. It is effective against various inflammations, eczema and swollen abscesses, and is also widely used in cancer treatment.

With such a wonderful little plant, how do you grow it?

Find fertile soil that retains water but drains well, water it thoroughly and set it aside. You can buy seeds online, or take fresh, fully ripe black nightshade berries, remove the seeds, dry them for two days and store them dry. Sow in spring or autumn, scatter the seeds and cover with half a centimeter of soil, keep the temperature at around 20°C, and they will sprout in about two weeks.

In daily care, don't let it get too dry, keep it ventilated, give it half a day of light, and a temperature of 15 to 20°C is most favorable for flowering and fruiting.

If you also like growing flowers, then follow us!