Introduced and assessed as invasive in the lower 48 states
iNaturalist's volunteer curators list it as introduced in their Ohio checklist.
US-RIIS assesses a species as invasive when it causes, or is likely to cause, harm there, or is at least locally abundant and harmful ecologically, economically, or to health.
Season shown in 6 of Ohio's 88 counties. Explore Ohio
No result yet (24)
Recorded, too few records for a result (45)
Recorded, season not shown (13)
Season shown (6)
Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Cartographic Boundary Files, 1:500,000. Show as a table
Counties as a table
bittersweet nightshade by Ohio county: records and mapped range
County
Records
Adams County
No qualifying records yet
Allen County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Ashland County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Ashtabula County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Athens County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Auglaize County
No qualifying records yet
Belmont County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Brown County
No qualifying records yet
Butler County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Carroll County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Champaign County
42 · Recorded, season not shown
Clark County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Clermont County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Clinton County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Columbiana County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Coshocton County
No qualifying records yet
Crawford County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Cuyahoga County
249 · Season shown
Darke County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Defiance County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Delaware County
29 · Recorded, season not shown
Erie County
24 · Recorded, season not shown
Fairfield County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Fayette County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Franklin County
127 · Season shown
Fulton County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Gallia County
No qualifying records yet
Geauga County
26 · Recorded, season not shown
Greene County
41 · Recorded, season not shown
Guernsey County
No qualifying records yet
Hamilton County
44 · Season shown
Hancock County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Hardin County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Harrison County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Henry County
No qualifying records yet
Highland County
No qualifying records yet
Hocking County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Holmes County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Huron County
No qualifying records yet
Jackson County
No qualifying records yet
Jefferson County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Knox County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Lake County
40 · Season shown
Lawrence County
No qualifying records yet
Licking County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Logan County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Lorain County
41 · Recorded, season not shown
Lucas County
111 · Recorded, season not shown
Madison County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Mahoning County
23 · Recorded, season not shown
Marion County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Medina County
24 · Recorded, season not shown
Meigs County
No qualifying records yet
Mercer County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Miami County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Monroe County
No qualifying records yet
Montgomery County
29 · Recorded, season not shown
Morgan County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Morrow County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Muskingum County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Noble County
No qualifying records yet
Ottawa County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Paulding County
No qualifying records yet
Perry County
No qualifying records yet
Pickaway County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Pike County
No qualifying records yet
Portage County
53 · Season shown
Preble County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Putnam County
No qualifying records yet
Richland County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Ross County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Sandusky County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Scioto County
No qualifying records yet
Seneca County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Shelby County
No qualifying records yet
Stark County
68 · Recorded, season not shown
Summit County
158 · Season shown
Trumbull County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Tuscarawas County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Union County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Van Wert County
No qualifying records yet
Vinton County
No qualifying records yet
Warren County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Washington County
No qualifying records yet
Wayne County
43 · Recorded, season not shown
Williams County
No qualifying records yet
Wood County
22 · Recorded, season not shown
Wyandot County
Recorded, too few records for a result
No mapped range from the range source used, the USGS Gap Analysis Project, which maps land vertebrates only.
Season
When it is recorded
In Champaign County
Not enough evidence
The weeks are still too uncertain to show a season. Based on 42 records in 7 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025, above the minimum of 20 records from 5 different years.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Show over the bars
Recording in Champaign County · records of all species each week, 11,938 in all
Records per week from 42 records in 7 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not a season or how common it is.
Show as a table
Records of bittersweet nightshade in Champaign County each week, and records of all species
Week
Records of bittersweet nightshade
Years recorded
Records of all species
Jan 4–10
0
0
8
Jan 11–17
0
0
3
Jan 18–24
0
0
8
Jan 25–31
0
0
64
Feb 1–7
0
0
37
Feb 8–14
0
0
18
Feb 15–21
0
0
12
Feb 22–28
0
0
26
Mar 1–7
0
0
15
Mar 8–14
0
0
46
Mar 15–21
0
0
95
Mar 22–28
0
0
50
Mar 29 – Apr 4
0
0
42
Apr 5–11
0
0
98
Apr 12–18
0
0
345
Apr 19–25
0
0
300
Apr 26 – May 2
0
0
288
May 3–9
0
0
587
May 10–16
0
0
506
May 17–23
1
1
792
May 24–30
4
4
475
May 31 – Jun 6
4
3
668
Jun 7–13
11
5
551
Jun 14–20
4
3
559
Jun 21–27
2
1
456
Jun 28 – Jul 4
7
4
1,064
Jul 5–11
0
0
561
Jul 12–18
3
3
536
Jul 19–25
1
1
346
Jul 26 – Aug 1
0
0
440
Aug 2–8
2
1
349
Aug 9–15
0
0
290
Aug 16–22
2
1
256
Aug 23–29
0
0
286
Aug 30 – Sep 5
1
1
388
Sep 6–12
0
0
410
Sep 13–19
0
0
281
Sep 20–26
0
0
96
Sep 27 – Oct 3
0
0
126
Oct 4–10
0
0
92
Oct 11–17
0
0
105
Oct 18–24
0
0
55
Oct 25–31
0
0
44
Nov 1–7
0
0
7
Nov 8–14
0
0
40
Nov 15–21
0
0
14
Nov 22–28
0
0
56
Nov 29 – Dec 5
0
0
5
Dec 6–12
0
0
5
Dec 13–19
0
0
0
Dec 20–26
0
0
15
Dec 27 – Jan 2
0
0
22
Reported in flower
Only 4 records here show flowers, too few to show a flowering season. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.
Reported in fruit
No records here show fruit yet, so there is no fruiting season to show. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.
In Ohio
Mid-May to mid-October, middle week Jul 12–18
Middle week · Jul 12–18
This week · Nov 8–14
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Show over the bars
Recording in Ohio · records of all species each week, 1,691,199 in all
Records per week from 1,858 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not how common it is. The grey bars show how many records of all species were made here each week, so you can see when recording itself was high or low; the season is not adjusted by them.
Recorded on 911 dates. Latest record: December 2025.
Show as a table
Records of bittersweet nightshade in Ohio each week, and records of all species
Week
Records of bittersweet nightshade
Years recorded
Records of all species
Jan 4–10
2
2
6,211
Jan 11–17
1
1
5,146
Jan 18–24
1
1
4,645
Jan 25–31
0
0
4,698
Feb 1–7
1
1
6,023
Feb 8–14
0
0
5,888
Feb 15–21
0
0
5,436
Feb 22–28
0
0
6,846
Mar 1–7
0
0
8,321
Mar 8–14
0
0
10,384
Mar 15–21
0
0
12,620
Mar 22–28
0
0
13,949
Mar 29 – Apr 4
0
0
19,661
Apr 5–11
1
1
26,860
Apr 12–18
1
1
39,925
Apr 19–25
6
2
41,623
Apr 26 – May 2
17
7
56,391
May 3–9
22
7
52,952
May 10–16
20
6
53,785
May 17–23
86
7
57,698
May 24–30
85
8
54,651
May 31 – Jun 6
132
10
53,099
Jun 7–13
125
10
53,700
Jun 14–20
100
9
56,625
Jun 21–27
90
9
55,361
Jun 28 – Jul 4
91
9
58,477
Jul 5–11
78
9
61,336
Jul 12–18
89
10
64,722
Jul 19–25
85
10
69,753
Jul 26 – Aug 1
72
10
59,416
Aug 2–8
85
9
59,712
Aug 9–15
56
9
55,994
Aug 16–22
77
9
54,328
Aug 23–29
56
9
51,772
Aug 30 – Sep 5
62
9
57,167
Sep 6–12
56
10
59,075
Sep 13–19
80
9
54,543
Sep 20–26
65
8
45,860
Sep 27 – Oct 3
58
9
43,180
Oct 4–10
60
10
37,841
Oct 11–17
32
6
30,824
Oct 18–24
17
6
21,156
Oct 25–31
11
5
19,021
Nov 1–7
15
6
14,172
Nov 8–14
6
5
12,621
Nov 15–21
5
4
7,965
Nov 22–28
4
4
8,136
Nov 29 – Dec 5
3
1
6,083
Dec 6–12
1
1
6,004
Dec 13–19
3
3
5,423
Dec 20–26
0
0
5,661
Dec 27 – Jan 2
1
1
8,459
Reported in flower
Usually reported in flower mid-May to early September, middle week Jun 28 – Jul 4.
From 131 records that show flowers. Not every photo of a plant in flower is marked as flowering, so this shows when people reported it in flower, not when it flowers.
Reported in fruit
No fruiting season shown here. The weeks are still too uncertain to show a season.
What these results show
These results show when people recorded a species, not when or where it occurs. Missing weeks and low counts do not mean absence or scarcity, and counts are not abundance. Contributed records reflect where, when and what people chose to observe.
Identification
How to identify it
Telling it apart
From what Ohio’s records show. Only what the records support is shown.
Asian bittersweetCelastrus orbiculatusOften confused in Ohio: 10 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
eastern black nightshadeSolanum emulans169 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
guelder-roseViburnum opulus118 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
American bittersweetCelastrus scandens71 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
tomatoSolanum lycopersicum63 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
From iNaturalist’s similar-species counts, refreshed monthly: confusions in Ohio first, then worldwide. Only species with an Ohio result are listed.
Months not reported
Jan: recorded
Feb: recorded
Mar: no record
Apr: recorded
May: recorded
Jun: recorded
Jul: recorded
Aug: recorded
Sep: recorded
Oct: recorded
Nov: recorded
Dec: recorded
Not reported in Ohio in March, 2016 to 2025.
Land cover where it is recorded
Land cover
Its recordsAll Ohio records
Developed
74%49%
Wetland
11%5%
Forest
8%31%
Farmland
5%11%
Open water
2%3%
Barren
0.3%0.6%
Grassland and shrub
0.3%0.9%
From 1,247 records placed within 100 m, beside all Ohio records placed the same way. People record where they go, so this shows where records come from, not where the species lives. Land cover: USGS Annual NLCD, 2025 (opens in a new tab)
Sources
Where these results come from
Records from iNaturalist research-grade observations and expert-identified GBIF datasets, CC0, CC BY and CC BY-NC. Sources
Seasons use the published method and its evidence thresholds. Methods
A spreadsheet (CSV) with a link to each record, on iNaturalist or GBIF. Records whose location was hidden by the observer or the source are counted but not linked.
