Are there any poisonous black berries?
These small shiny black berries are one of the most dangerous look-alikes, resembling blueberries to the unobservant. There are several species of nightshade (Solanum spp.) growing wild throughout the U.S. Just a handful of the bitter berries can contain deadly amounts of toxic alkaloids, among other compounds.
Avoid white and yellow berries, as most of them are poisonous. Blue and black berries are usually safe to eat. The “berry rule” is that 10% of white and yellow berries are edible; 50% of red berries are edible; 90% of blue, black, or purple berries are edible, and 99% of aggregated berries are edible.