Stem

  • 1-3 ft. tall, branched and densely covered with short hairs; sometimes covered with red to yellow spines less than 0.2 in. long
Photo of silverleaf nightshade plant with yellow berries.

Leaves

  • Alternate; oval to lance-shaped and 3-6 in. long with wavy or lobed edges (margins); usually NO spines on leaf veins; covered with tiny hairs that are star-shaped with magnification; gives the plant a gray or silvery appearance
Photo of silverleaf nightshade bush with purple flowers on top.

Flower

  • Star-shaped, 0.75-1.5 in. diameter, purple to blue with 5 petals and yellow stamens; usually 3-5 flowers clustered on stalks at tips of branches
  • Berries are round, shiny, yellow, 0.25-0.5 in. diameter and resemble tiny tomatoes 
Photo of silverleaf nightshade plant with dark purple flower and yellow center.

Root

  • Deep, creeping root system
 

Other

  • Often infests rangeland, roadsides, waste areas and crop fields; native to North America; known to occur in Clark, Elko and Nye counties
  • Perennial; reproduces by seeds and roots
  • Toxic to livestock and humans
  • Also known as white horsenettle
 

Control

  • Repeated hand-digging can be effective; DO NOT use tillage, mowing or grazing
  • Apply 2,4-D, aminopyralid, dicamba, 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 – Silverleaf nightshade, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno, Field Guide

Extension Associated Contacts

 

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Associated Programs

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Master Gardeners of Washoe County

Master Gardeners provide free, research-based horticulture information to Nevadans.

Master Gardeners at tabling event

Master Gardeners of Nevada

Program trains local gardeners to provide research-based horticulture information to Nevadans

Weed Warriors Invasive Weed Training cb

Weed Warriors Invasive Weed Training

The Weed Warriors program tackles the growing problem of weeds on public and private land.