Carolina Horsenettle II

Note from the Author: I previously covered this plant on February 16^th 2024.

 

 

It does not take much for these pesky plants to emerge from the earth.

This one was a few feet away from the above one, they probably have rhizomes running for quite a distance under the cement.

This one came up within a fence a few more feet away from the other two.

 

Common Name: Carolina Horsenettle

 

Other Common Names: Radical Weed, Sand Breier, Sand Briar, Bull Nettle, Tread-Softly, Devil’s Tomato, Wild Tomato, Apple of Sodom, Devil’s Potato, Horsenettle, Poisonous Potato and, Thorn Apple.

 

Botanical Family: Solanaceae (The Nightshade Family)

 

Botanical Latin Name: Solanum carolinense

 

Description & Habitat: You can always Identify Carolina Horsenettle by a few traits that it always seems to have. The leaves of Carolina Horsenettle are typically dull green in color and may have coarsely lobed margins. Additionally, Carolina Horsenettle will have star-shaped hairs on the margins of the foliage. In addition, the stems and undersides of the leaves will have spines that may be troublesome enough to require protective clothing. The flowers are in clusters that can have five to twenty individual star shaped flowers that will be light violent or white in color. The fruit starts as a smooth green berry that turns yellow and becomes wrinkly as it reaches maturity. The berries of this plant may stay attached to the plant through some or all of the winter even though the foliage has died off.  In the urban landscape you will find this plant popping out of random places right about now. As is seen with the included photographs cracks in cement are perfectly applicable places to find this plant. They are not too picky about soil type and can survive our heat and periodic drought just fine

 

Special Toxicity Note: All parts of this plant are poisonous to livestock, people, dogs and cats. This plant produces a toxin in all parts that is known as Solanine and this compound is most concentrated in the fall. The berries, which are bright yellow when ripe are tempting as trail forage but unfortunately they are the most toxic when ripe and have no safe period in which to eat them. The foliage is noted to be less toxic than the rest but still dangerous.

 

When & What to Harvest: This plant is not safe to eat even in desperation.

 

Edible Related Plants: White Potato (Solanum tuberosum), Tomato (S. lycopersicon), Peppers (Capsicum sp.), Eggplant (S. meongena), Goji Berry (Lycium barbarum), Bed of Nails (S. quitoense), Nightshade Greens (S. macrocarpon) and, Njama Greens (S. scabrum).

 

Similar Dangerous Species:  Deadly Nightshade (Atropa bella-donna), Tropical Soda-Apple (S. viarum) Black Nightshade (S. nigrum), American Black Nightshade (S. americanum).

 

Recipe:  (None, this plant is inedible)

 

Additional Information: (If applicable)

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/solanum-carolinense/

 

Where to get Seed or Bare Root Plants:

-You really do not want to grow this.

 

With all that garden goodness covered this is the part of the blog where I have to advertise for the Fayetteville City Market. Now I know you readers probably don’t much like advertisements, but my booth at the City Market helps to cover the costs of running the test garden and literally maintains the Research & Development budget that is used to bring you the information that has made up the backbone of this blog.  In addition to being able to process card payments we now take CashApp payments so your payment options for my product have tripled. With that said; if you want to get some GMO-free, Organic fruit, herbs, flowers and perennials, come on down to the Fayetteville City Market on 325 Maxwell Street in downtown Fayetteville between the hours of 9:00 am and 1:00 pm on Saturdays. Even in bad weather the market goes on though you might have to look for me under the ‘arches’ of the Transportation Museum’s front entryway.

 

 

Fresh Produce:

Blueberries, Rabbiteye

Figs, Magnolia

Peppers, Banana Drop Hybrid

 

Summer Vegetables:

Nightshade Greens, Gbognome

Nightshade Greens, West African Njama

Okra, Baby Bubba

Okra, Iraqi Bamia

Pepper, Ghost

Pepper, Serrano

Pepper, Hungarian Wax Banana

Pepper, Bull’s Horn

Pepper, Mad Hatter

Pepper, Purple Bell

Potato, Adirondak (Purple skin with blue-purple flesh)

Spinach, Egyptian

Tomato, Chocolate Cherry

Tomato, Brown Sugar

 

 

Herbs:

Basil, Holy

Basil, Sweet Genovese

Chives

Yarrow, Parker’s Gold

 

 

Flowers:

Flowering Tobacco

Hibiscus, Luna Red

Marigolds

 

Plants Coming Soon:

Green-Fruit Nightshade Greens

Rainbow Quinoa

 

How to stay in Contact with Us!

All you need to keep up with all our activities is to have a Nextdoor account and to look for the ‘Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville’ group and ask to join! You don’t have to live in Fayetteville to join us! Feel free to ask all your garden questions of our knowledgeable membership and post your cool garden pictures.

 

Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville

 

Also please take a gander at the YouTube version of this blog:

The Videos: Look Here

>Newest videos (1): Sago Palm

 

Meetings are still going on! Our next (unofficial) meeting is June 21^st at the Fayetteville City Market at 325 Franklin Street between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm.