Horse Nettle

(Solanum carolinense)

 

   

 

 

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Horse Nettle (Solanum carolinense L.)

Identification: Flowers white to light violet with 5 petals. Petals with tips swept backward. Stamens yellow, large, projecting forward in a beak-shaped structure. Flowers solitary or in clusters of 2 or 3. Fruit a round berry. Stem spiny. Leaves ovate-elongate, with coarsely toothed outer margins. Plant 1 to 4 feet in height.

Distribution: Throughout most of North America.

Habitat: Horse Nettle is found in disturbed habitats including fields, empty lots, and along roadsides.

Flowering period: May to October.

Similar Species: The flower, spiny stem, and highly toothed leaves easily identify this weedy species.

Line Drawing: Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada, Second Edition.

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