Today I found this sunny yellow "flower" growing in my backyard garden. So very pretty! What a surprise! I'd never seen anything like it before.
Upon close inspection the strange looking leaves and wicked thorns were a clue that it might not be friendly. I kept my distance just in case and did some research. And it's a good thing I did.
What I discovered surprised me. Turns out, it's common name is 'prickly nightshade', among others depending on your region, for instance, it's called Buffalo-bur in Texas. Like all nightshades, it's a poisonous member of the potato family, with this name Solanum rostratum.
The whole plant is toxic and considered an invasive, noxious weed. Those wicked looking thorns are coated with a caustic substance that produces a long lingering sting if you get poked by them, even just a little. So beware! Have no idea where it came from. These apparently produce lots of clingy seeds that can blow through the air or stick to fur, feathers, shoes and clothing to get around. So, I guess that would explain it.
Yikes!! Hope there aren't anymore. Foul fiend! Makes me shiver just looking at it. 😖 Happy Wednesday, Vicki! Thanks for the education!
Posted by: Kim | July 07, 2021 at 03:14 PM
Yipes! Glad we don't have those around here, at least not as far as I know. We have poison parsnips, though, and giant hogweed!
Posted by: Elizabeth R Wood | July 07, 2021 at 04:52 PM
Yikes! Good thing you checked!
Posted by: Michele McLaughlin | July 08, 2021 at 05:41 AM