PlantFiles: Horsenettle
Solanum carolinense

No idea how this plant got into my yard, but I now patrol regularly, trying to eradicate it. My dog (Lab-Chow mix) LOVES it, and it makes her violently sick (volcanic diarrhea) and would kill her if she could get enough of it at one time. (It's toxic to livestock, although cows and horses generally have sense enough not to eat it green because of the prickles--it's a hazard to them in dried silage.)

I found beauty in this humble weed. In the current state of drought in North Carolina, I planted it in a large pot and let the flowers bloom. It requires little care and is tolerant of many conditions. Never allow children to eat the fruit and do not plant it in your lawn. Also, you may want to gather up the seeds before they break open.

This was also growing in the Panhandle of Texas in the ditches of Hale County around Plainview Texas.
It was a very mean and persistant plant as it was too prickly to pull.

Horse Nettle is widely regarded as a weed, with some justication, but it is also one of the native wildflowers of the prairie. The fruits are benefical to wildlife. Because of the intense competition among plants and their root systems, this plant is less aggressive in prairie habitats than in disturbed sites around developed areas.

Several states have this plant listed as a noxious weed in the plant.usda.gov site.

This is one weed I absolutely HATE. Sharp thorns make this one hard to remove.

Alaska:
horsenettle Noxious weed
Arizona:
Carolina horsenettle Prohibited noxious weed
Arkansas:
horsenettle Noxious weed
California:
Carolina horsenettle B list (noxious weeds)
Hawaii:
horsenettle Noxious weed
Iowa:
horse nettle Primary noxious weed
Nevada:
Carolina horsenettle Noxious weed

Carolina horsenettle
Group: Dicot
Family: Solanaceae
Growth Habit: Subshrub, Shrub, Forb/herb
Duration: Perennial
U.S. Nativity: Native

Plant Type: This is a herbaceous plant, it is a perennial which can reach 80cm in height (31inches). The stem is covered with spines.

Leaves: The leaves are alternate. Each leaf is irregularly lobed or coarsely toothed.

Flowers: The flowers have 5 Regular Parts. They are white sometimes light purple. Blooms first appear in mid spring and continue into early fall.

Fruit: A toxic berry. Green at first turning yellow very like a small tomato.

Habitat: Fields, fencerows and gardens.

Range: Most of eastern North America except extreme north.

This close relative of so many of our garden vegetables is reported to be responsible for the deaths of children who have eaten the berries. As with most members of the Nightshade family, even the ones with eatable fruits or tubers such as the tomato and potato, the foliage is toxic in sufficient doses. Though considered a 'weed' it has an attractive and interesting flower. A deep root makes it difficult to remove from gardens. There are many close relatives to this species in our area and many more in the tropics.

Lore: Cherokee used it as an insecticide to kill flies by putting crushed leaves in sweet milk.

Medical Uses: Despite it's toxicity this and other closely related Nightshades have been use medicinally. According to Foster & Duke the berries have been use to treat epilepsy and pain as a diuretic, antispasmodic, and aphrodisiac. The leaves have been used as an analgesic, poulticed on injuries or dermatitis or gargled for sore throats. The Cherokees used berries fried in grease as an ointment for mange in dogs and tied roots around baby's neck for teething, perhaps soothing the pain.

** Warning: All parts of this species are toxic and should not be taken internally without expert guidance. It contains poisonous aldaloids including solanine. **