This plant family contains around 2700 species and includes eggplant, tomato, potato, tomatillo, tobacco, goji berry, and sweet and hot peppers. There’s a wide range of diversity in this family, with plants grown as either annuals or perennials that take the form of vines, shrubs, or trees. This family is (in)famous for producing alkaloid chemicals, such as nicotine and capsaicin, which are designed to protect them from attacks from insects and other predators. The ones we eat have been bred for a more balanced content of these chemicals in the edible portions of the plant, so don’t fret.
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