Weeds of Australia - Fact Sheet

Top Scientific Name Family Common Names Origin Naturalised Distribution Notes

Scientific Name

Solanum elaeagnifolium Cav.

Family

Solanaceae

Common Names

bitter apple, bull nettle, bullnettle, prairie berry, silver horsenettle, silver leaf, silver leaf nettle, silver leaf nightshade, silver nightshade, silver-leaf bitter apple, silverleaf bitter apple, silver-leaf nettle, silver-leaf nightshade, silverleaf nightshade, silver-leaved nightshade sand briar, tomato weed, white horse nettle, white horsenettle

Origin

Native to southern South America (i.e. Argentina, Chile and Uruguay) and possibly also parts of North America (i.e. Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, south-western Colorado, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas, Arizona and northern Mexico).

Naturalised Distribution

A widely naturalised species that is mainly found in the southern regions of Australia. It is most common in the sub-coastal and inland regions of New South Wales, in Victoria and in south-eastern South Australia. Also relatively common in south-western Western Australia and occasionally found in inland southern Queensland. It has also been recorded in other parts of these states and in the southern parts of the Northern Territory.

Notes

Silver-leaved nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium) is a weed of crops and cultivation, pastures, roadsides, disturbed sites and waste areas in semi-arid, temperate and sub-tropical regions. While it is primarily a weed of agricultural areas, silver-leaved nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium) is also a weed of native pastures and rangeland plant communities, and is occasionally also found in other natural environments. During a recent survey, it was listed as a priority environmental weed in four Natural Resource Management regions.