Black Nightshade

🌱 QUANTITY: 500+ Seeds
⏳ SEED TO HARVEST: 30–40 days
🌿 SOWING METHOD: Direct sow
🏞️ SOWING TIME (PLAINS): Year-round, including harsh summers
🌄 SOWING TIME (HILLS): April-August
☀️ LIGHT REQUIREMENT: Full sunlight; Partial shade during summer

Deeply rooted in traditional South Indian cuisine and Ayurveda, Black Nightshade Spinach has been cherished for generations as both a healing herb and a nutritious leafy green. Native to Asia, Africa, and Europe, this hardy plant has adapted beautifully to India’s climate, thriving even in the harsh summer heat when other greens fail.

Its tender leaves and shoots carry a mild, slightly tangy flavor with a hint of bitterness that balances beautifully in traditional dishes. In Tamil homes, Manathakkali Keerai is often cooked into kootu, poriyal, or soothing rasam, while the berries are dried for medicinal uses.