Volunteer - what am I? Edible?

I get outdated produce from the store to feed my chickens. The leafy stuff they eat as is, the rest I put through my chipper/shedder for them. ( Link to my blog for more info if interested - http://mountaingardengleanings.blogspot.com/2010/10/feeding-chickens-produce.html )

In the winter, I cook up some of the chippables for a hot meal for my girls. ( Link for info - http://mountaingardengleanings.blogspot.com/2011/01/hot-meal-for-my-chickens.html )

During the winter the food that wasn't feed to the chickens was piled in the yard and chipped this spring. It was tilled in and as a result we have lots+++ of volunteer tomatoes but also this volunteer plant is coming up alot. I left a number of them to see what kind of fruit or veggie it is but don't know.

I also want to know if it is edible otherwise I'll pull them out because some are getting several feet tall and taking over the garden.



The flowers grow in the joints.






This is forming where the flower was.

I haven't looked real close at it - but it looks like nightshade and all but certainly, the nightshade family, JoJo.

The wild birds must eat the berries and spread it around. It might come up anywhere in my yard or garden.

Take a look at this pictures and see what you think: CalPhotos (click)

You will notice that it is in our part of the world: USDA Plants (click)

Steve

It looks like a Tomatillo. There should be green tomato looking like fruit forming inside those paper husks.

That sure looks like a tomatillo to me. As the old saying goes you only need to plant them once. We have at least four volunteers from lst years plants and they came up in places no where near the original plants. Some seeds will survive being in the compost pile for a season. Good salsa is in your future!

I agree it does look like a tomatillo- however, it also looks exactly like a Japanese Lantern- which is poisonous... Have you ever planted either? I would be very sure before eating them.

Solanaceae - "the nightshade family"

"Solanaceae are known for possessing a diverse range of alkaloids. As far as humans are concerned, these alkaloids can be desirable, toxic, or both." ~ Wikipedia

Caution, even with the chickens. The idea that chickens may come across dangerous items but avoid them is belied with their willingness to eat metal and glass . . . among other things.

Steve

Thanks guys. I decided to get rid of them since they are huge and from all reports will get bigger. I don't need my garden taken over by them. I didn't realize how many there were until I started pulling them out! I piled them up outside the chicken run so the girls don't get them.

As already noted they are a nightshade and mildly poisonous except for the fruit which is edible. Indians used to dry the berries for Winter use. We used to call those Japanese lantern plants because the husk around the berry looks like a Japanese paper lantern.