This plant looks like it's one of the nightshades. I'm familiar with two plants that look like this one: Deadly Nightshade and Black Nightshade. The color of the flower differs between the two plants. Deadly nightshade has purple flowers, while Black Nightshade has white flowers. Since your photo does not show flower color, it's hard for me to say which version it is.
The fruits of Deadly Nightshade are always poisonous, whether unripe or ripe. The fruits of Black Nightshade are only poisonous when the fruits are unripe and green; once they turn black, the fruits of the Black Nightshade are edible. BUT BUT BUT, I would not recommend eating black fruits unless the plant you are picking from clearly has white flowers and is absolutely identifiable as Black Nightshade.
I study with a local wild-edibles expert who eats the ripe black fruit from Black Nightshade. But there may be similar look-a-like plants that are toxic, I'm not sure.
black nightshade is edible (with care) by: donna
"Nightshade" is actually the common name used to describe over 2,800 species of plants, many with very different properties and constituents. All of the plants, however, belong to a scientific order called Polemoniales, and to a scientific family called Solanaceae. To give you an idea of the diversity associated with this group of plants, consider the fact that tobacco, morning glory, potato, and tomato are all classified as nightshades...... Check berry and growth. I have noticed they are different within species. Yours looks like mine and the birds love them. Neighbors dog nips at them but doesn't eat them and hasn't gotten ill. (think i might try one of the berries this year since I caught the neighbor's lawn cutting service eating them by the handful.)
Deadly Nightshade. by: Kathy, LaSalle
I agree with Mony that this is a poisonous plant. To my knowledge it is not edible. Deadly Nightshade is what my mother always called it, and I guess Black Nightshade is another name for it. Does it have purple flowers before the berries appear?
Black Nightshade by: Moni
This plant is the common weed - black nightshade and it's poisonous...please do not eat this without studying what you are doing!
Several web sites say that you can eat the ripe black berries in small quantities(some suggest only cooked never raw), but never the foliage or green berries. The plant and berries contain a toxic alkaloid, solanine.
Animals know not to eat this plant so I would be very cautious about doing so.
Pull this weed to prevent any more seeds and use a good mulch to prevent them from growing.
