# Carolina horsenettle (*Solanum carolinense*) The Carolina horsenettle is a plant with spiky leaves and pretty purple flowers. It grows in sunny places and can be found in fields and gardens. Be careful, as its berries can be harmful if eaten! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 3/5 · Moderate - **Snaps:** 60 - **Habitat:** Fields and gardens ![Carolina horsenettle](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Solanum_carolinense_in_flower.jpg&width=800) Photo: The original uploader was Richardelainechambers at English Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Solanum_carolinense_in_flower.jpg) ## Appearance The Carolina horsenettle is a prickly plant featuring thorny stems and small, star-shaped flowers typically purple or white with yellow centers. Its distinctive yellow-orange berries, resembling tiny tomatoes, grow in clusters and are a key identification feature. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Solanales - **Family:** Solanaceae - **Genus:** Solanum ## Interesting facts - Each plant can produce hundreds of berries, spreading thousands of tiny seeds! - It's a cousin to tomatoes and potatoes, even though its berries are not safe to eat! - Its name comes from the plant's prickliness and its potential to harm grazing animals! - The seeds can stay alive in the soil for over 100 years, waiting to grow! ## Special abilities - **Thorny Defense:** Carolina horsenettle has sharp thorns on its stems and leaves that help it defend against hungry animals trying to eat it. - **Deep Root Power:** Carolina horsenettle can grow deep, spreading roots that help it survive droughts and sprout new plants after being cut. - **Toxic Shield:** Carolina horsenettle produces toxic compounds throughout its parts, which helps deter most herbivores from making it their meal. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-100 cm - **Spread:** 30-60 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-2.5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to early fall - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Moderate - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** [three-lined potato beetle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/three-lined-potato-beetle) (*Lema trilineata*) — Its larvae and adults feed on the leaves. - **Pollinates:** honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits its flowers for nectar and pollen collection. - **Eaten by:** [American robin](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-robin) (*Turdus migratorius*) — Birds eat the berries, helping to disperse the seeds. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Spiky/Thorny](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spiky-thorny): Possessing sharp, pointed projections or spines on the body or surface. - [Toxic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/toxic): Toxic organisms contain substances that are poisonous and can cause adverse effects upon exposure. - [Poisonous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/poisonous): Poisonous organisms produce toxins that can cause harm when ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through contact. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 3/5 · Moderate Don't eat the berries or touch the spiky parts of the plant. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Carolina horsenettle? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Carolina horsenettle? 30-100 cm ### How wide does Carolina horsenettle spread? 30-60 cm ### How big are the flowers on Carolina horsenettle? 1-2.5 cm ### When does Carolina horsenettle bloom? Late spring to early fall ### Is Carolina horsenettle edible? No ### Is Carolina horsenettle toxic? Moderate ### What is Carolina horsenettle's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [American Baptist College](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/american-baptist-college) — Tennessee, US · Campus - [Audubon Place Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/audubon-place-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [Battle Creek Cypress Swamp Sanctuary](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/battle-creek-cypress-swamp-sanctuary) — Maryland, US · Nature Reserve - [Bloomingdale](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bloomingdale) — District of Columbia, US · Neighborhood - [Brooklyn Botanic Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/brooklyn-botanic-garden) — New York, US · Botanical Garden - [Bullock County Courthouse Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bullock-county-courthouse-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District [View all places to see Carolina horsenettle](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/carolina-horsenettle) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Carolina horsenettle: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/carolina-horsenettle)