Weed of the Week: Carolina Horse Nettle

Carolina Horsenettle (Solanum carolinense)

A warm season perennial, Carolina horse nettle can grow to 2 feet tall. It has dark green leaves that are sharply lobed with a pointed tip. Carolina horse nettle has large spines on the stems and leaves. Each of its mostly oval leaves has several teeth or shallow lobes on both sides. Horse nettle has clusters of white to purple flowers and they bloom May to October. Horse nettle also produces a fruit that is about 1/2 inch in diameter; it is green with light green vertical bands until maturity, when it becomes yellow. Carolina horse nettle can be toxic to livestock. The toxicity may depend upon the maturity of the plants, because more toxins are present in the fruits than in the leaves. Hay and silage containing the mature plants can cause poisoning and death of livestock. Optimum time for control is during bloom.

Carolina Horsenettle

 

Carolina Horsenettle Berries

Carolina Horsenettle Fruit

Select Herbicide Options:

Weedmaster

Duracor

GrazonNext HL

Grazon P+D

Pasturall HL

Surmount

Chaparral (for bermudagrass pastures, will destroy bahiagrass)

Pastora (for bermudagrass pastures, will destroy bahiagrass)

REMEMBER: THE LABEL IS THE LAW!  Always read the pesticide label before using.

 

 

Vanessa Corriher-Olson

Professor, Forage Extension Specialist

Soil & Crop Sciences

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Overton,TX

vacorriher@ag.tamu.edu

903-834-6191

 

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