Stem

  •  1-3 ft. tall, branched, covered with spines less than 0.2 in. long and short hairs
Photo of horsenettle plant with leaves and thorns
 

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 
Photo of horsenettle plant with leaves

 

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 
Photo of horsenettle plant with purple and white flowers
 

Root

  •  Deep, creeping root system
Photo of horsenettle plant
 

 

Other

  • Grows best in sandy, well-drained soils; often infests crop fields and pastures; no known occurences in Nevada
  • 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
Photo of horsenettle plant with yellow fruit

Control

  • Tillage, mowing and grazing are NOT effective; repeated hand-digging of individual plants can be effective for small infestations
  • Apply 2,4-D or glyphosate to young, actively growing plants; imazapyr to actively growing plants; picloram at full flower
Blecker, L., Creech, E., Dick, J., Gephart, S., Hefner, M., Kratsch, H., Moe, A., Schultz, B. 2020, Nevada Noxious Weed Field Guide – Horsenettle, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno, Field Guide

Learn more about the author(s)

Heidi Kratsch
Heidi Kratsch
 

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