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Native Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

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Solanum dimidiatum (Western horsenettle)
Smith, Sandy

Solanum dimidiatum Raf.

Western horsenettle, Western Horse-Nettle

Solanaceae (Potato Family)

USDA Symbol: sodi

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

The leaves, petioles and branched stems of western horse nettle have sharp spines. Oval, five- to seven-lobed leaves are up to 6 inches long. Flowers are purple to violet (sometimes white) and grow at the tip in terminal clusters. Flowers give rise to ball-shaped fruits that are 0.75 to 1.5 inches in diameter and yellow at maturity.

Fruits, even though they look like tomatoes, are deadly poisonous and are probably responsible for “Crazy Cow Syndrome”.

 

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Breeding System: Flowers Bisexual
Size Notes: 2 feet tall, but some grow to 3 feet tall.
Fruit:
Size Class: 1-3 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Purple
Bloom Time: May , Jun , Jul , Aug

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , CA , FL , GA , IL , KS , LA , MO , NM , OK , SC , TX
USDA Native Status: L48(N)

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Fredericksburg Nature Center - Fredericksburg, TX
Brackenridge Field Laboratory - Austin, TX

Herbarium Specimen(s)

NPSOT 0919 Collected Jul 31, 1994 in Comal County by Mary Beth White

Wildflower Center Seed Bank

LBJWC-1230 Collected 2012-10-22 in Anderson County by Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Bibliography

Bibref 286 - Wildflowers of the Texas Hill Country (1989) Enquist, M.

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Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Solanum dimidiatum in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Solanum dimidiatum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Solanum dimidiatum

Metadata

Record Modified: 2010-04-19
Research By: TWC Staff

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