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solanum carolinense - horse nettle

Horse Nettle (Solanum carolinense) is an erect to sprawling, deep-rooted perennial herb that grows from 1 to 3 feet tall and is covered with prickles. The leaves are alternate, ovate, and from 3 to 5 inches in length. The leaves have branched hairs on both the upper and lower surface and a few coarse teeth or shallow lobes on each leaf margin.

The flowers are pale violet to white in color and about 3/4" wide, star-shaped with 5 lobes. They also have long yellow anthers that come from a centrale cone and are borne in a lateral cluster. Flowering occurs from May to September. 

The fruits are yellow orange berries about 1/2 inch across and are highly poisonous if eaten. 

Although this is a native plant, it is considered to be a stubborn weed that is found in waste areas and gardens throughout the eastern US. 

Horse Nettle is also known as Apple-of-Sodom, Bull Nettle, Poisonous Potato, Thorn Apple, and Tread Softly. 

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  • Home
  • Animals
    • Birds >
      • Avian Taxonomy
      • Bird Species Profiles
    • Mammal Species Profiles
    • Reptiles
    • Amphibians >
      • Frog and Toad Species Profiles
    • Fish
    • Arthropods >
      • Arthropod Species Profiles
  • Plants
    • Native Plant Societies
    • Eastern Plant Identification Guide
  • Fungi
    • Fungi Species Profiles
  • Protists
  • Nature Products Store
  • Cell Phone Ringtones
  • Madbird Feeder Cam
  • Ramblings of the Madbird Biologist
  • Bird Videos
  • News in Science
  • Nature Inspired Recipes
  • An Introduction to Scientific Classification and Naming
  • Birds in the Classroom
  • Resources
  • About Me