Horse Nettle

Description:

Leaves are alternate, elliptic-oblong to oval, and each is irregularly lobed or coarsely toothed. Both surfaces are covered with fine hairs. The flowers have five petals and are usually white or purple with yellow centers, though there is a blue variant that resembles the tomato flower. The fruits also resemble tomatoes. The immature fruit is dark green with light green stripes, turning yellow and wrinkled as it matures. Each fruit contains around 60 seeds. It flowers throughout the summer, from April to October.

Notes:

This plant is also seen as a beneficial weed: the ripe fruit of this plant contains relatively little solanine, and is cooked by herb doctors to use as a sedative or antispasmodic. The plant also provides ground cover for beneficial predatory beetles, making it potentially beneficial in gardens.