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Mystery Plant
updated: Jul 13, 2012, 9:10 PM
By Edhat Subscriber
A reader needs some help identifying a plant in his yard.
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Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)
COMMENT 297391P
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2012-07-14 06:26 AM |
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Some type of Solanum (Potato Plant)?
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SEEDLADY
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2012-07-14 07:13 AM |
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solanum flrs not usually clustered like that. have forwarded it to an expert...any idea where it came from? random volunteer seedling or planted? looks like it grows VERY fast, with the potential for substantial size.
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COMMENT 297429
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2012-07-14 08:24 AM |
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definitely solanum - maybe Solanum mauritianum.
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COMMENT 297438
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2012-07-14 08:40 AM |
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I had one of those in my driveway and every time I cut it off it would grow back very fast. It would produce these small grape like things that would stain the driveway. Very vigorous plant!
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MOONWILLOW
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2012-07-14 08:46 AM |
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If that ID is correct and it seems to be, it's very poisonous. Here's the Wikipedia article on it:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanum_mauritianum
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MTNDRIVER
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2012-07-14 08:51 AM |
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That's very interesting--at first I thought the flower umbel must be from a different plant, that you were teasing us mixing two plants together. The foliage looks so much like a brugmansia--the angel's trumpet plant, a member of the solanaceae (nightshade) family. But the flower, as seedlady said, is not at all typical nightshade (think tomato, potato, eggplant, peppers). Virginia Hayes at Lotusland might have be able to help. Any hints as to where it came from? Did it just show up?
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MTNDRIVER
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2012-07-14 09:05 AM |
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Well, if I'd just waited a couple minutes! Thank you 429 and Moonwillow. Looks like S. mauritianum all right, judging from the photos on a google search. And here's a link showing its range in the US. Have to scroll down the page a bit to get to this species. From the color key on the map, looks to be native here! http://www.bonap.org/BONAPmaps2010/Solanum.html
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ARTEMISIA
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2012-07-14 09:32 AM |
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Granted, the clusters of flowers are a bit unusual, but each individual flower is unmistakably Solanum. Further googling reveals that Solanum mauritanium is native to South America and is a widespread invasive weed that outcompetes native plants here. Keeping one ornamental specimen under control in a garden shouldn't cause problems if you don't let its seeds get away.
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COMMENT 297598
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2012-07-14 02:36 PM |
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Our N Fairview neighbor operates a commercial nursery and has several of these in tree form that are 20-30' tall. Birds have spread them throughout the neighborhood. Other than the use of Roundup on juveniles or cut stalks, I've found nothing else that can kill these very invasive plants.
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COMMENT 297620P
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2012-07-14 03:16 PM |
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Sorry for this but, Pesticides are never a good idea, no matter what. Not only do they poison our water, oceans, etc. but read below... and they've been finding their particulate matter everywhere....sorry! http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/wellness/babies/story/
2011/02/Exposure-to-pesticides-in-womb-linked-to-learning-disabilities/43401024/1
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