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
 

Also of Interest:

 
Needs Assessment for Noxious Weeds in Churchill County: Part 4 of 5 - Criteria for Herbicide Use and Selection
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 Davison, J., Powell, P., Schultz, B., and Singletary, L. 2012, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension
Nevada’s Priority Agricultural Weeds: Hoary Cress
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 B. Schultz, S. Foster 2021, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno, SP-21-03
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 Blecker, L., Creech, E., Dick, J., Gephart, S., Hefner, M., Kratsch, H., Moe, A., Schultz, B. 2020, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno, Field Guide
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Nevada Noxious Weed Field Guide – Common St. Johnswort
Common St. Johnswort is a noxious weed that has been identified by the state of Nevada to be harmful to agriculture, the general public, or the environment. Learn more about this weed.
 Blecker, L., Creech, E., Dick, J., Gephart, S., Hefner, M., Kratsch, H., Moe, A., Schultz, B. 2020, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno, Field Guide
 

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