Silverleaf Nightshade

Solanum eleagnifolium Cav.

Solanaceae (Nightshade Family)

▲ ▼ single plants or small colony

▲ larger colony along roadside

▲ ▼ flowers and foliage of Oklahoma (above) and New Mexico (below) plants

▲ ▼ flower close-ups

▲ shoots emerging from creeping roots

 

▲ ▼ fruit

Silverleaf  Nightshade: 

o        creeping perennial plant with gray-woolly leaves and stems and brown spines on leaf undersides on veins and also on stems; grows 6-24” tall

o        leaves lanceolate with smooth or wavy or lobed margins

o        flowers blue to purple with yellow center

o        fruit a marble-sized green tomato-like fruit

o        usually found in dry and sandy soil—more common south and west of here