Horsenettle (Solanum carolinense)


Category B Weed

Nightshade family (Solanaceae)

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Stem

  • 1-3 ft. tall, branched, covered with spines (less than 0.2 in. long) and short hairs

    Leaves

    • Alternate, oval to lance-shaped and 3-6 in. long; spines often on veins on undersides of leaves; edges (margins) are wavy to lobed

    • Leaves covered with tiny yellow hairs; hairs appear star-shaped with magnification

      Flower

      • Star-shaped with 5 white to pale violet petals; 0.75-1.5 in. diameter; 5-20 flowers clustered on stalks at tips of branches

      • Berries are round (0.25-0.75 in. diameter), shiny, yellow and resemble tiny tomatoes

        Root

        • Deep, creeping root system

          Other

          • Grows best in sandy, well-drained soils; often infests crop fields and pastures; known to occur in Elko County

          • Perennial; reproduces by seed and creeping roots

          • Also known as Carolina horsenettle; native to North America; toxic to livestock and humans; hosts a number of diseases and insects that attack related plants, such as tomato and potato

            Control

            • Tillage, mowing and grazing are NOT effective

            • Repeated hand-digging of individual plants can be effective for small infestations

            • Apply glyphosate or 2,4-D to young, actively growing plants; picloram at full flower; imazapyrto actively growing plants

              Images

              Horsenettle Plant
              Mature Plant
              Horsenettle Flowers
              Flowers
              Horsenettle Fruit
              Fruit
              Horsenettle Leaves on stem
              Leaves on stem
              Horsenettle Seedling
              Seedling
              Nevada Noxious Weed Field Guide
              Nevada Noxious Weed Guide