Carolina Horsenettle is a prickly native perennial with star-shaped white to lavender flowers and hard yellow berries that persist through winter. Despite its common name, it is not a true nettle but a member of the nightshade family. It colonizes pastures, roadsides, and sandy open areas across the eastern and central United States, where it is considered a weed but supports specialist bees that buzz-pollinate its flowers. Its deep root system makes it difficult to eradicate.
Best time to see a Carolina Horsenettle
The best time to see a Carolina Horsenettle is May–August, when about 66% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 63,245 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Carolina Horsenettle? What plant is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
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