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Name That Plant!

Identity of plant/weed?

11 years ago

This grows throughout my flower, shrub and vegetable bed. It always has holes/insect damage. I often leave it growing on until it flowers, because the adjacent plants are NOT full of holes. Another post Seemed to identify it as a solanum nigrum, but I am not sure...

What is it, Is it safe to leave growing with my vegetables? This shot is of a specimin growing in the beet bed. ALL of the leaves are well eaten, and there are NO holes in the adjacent beets. The culprit seems to be a tiny black beetle (?) Will post flower, and suspected insect seperately

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Comments (4)

qbush
Original Author
11 years ago
The inflorescence, below the leaf axil, and usuually occuring when plant is a foot to eighteen inches tall.
User
11 years ago
The damage to the Nightshade is caused by Flea Beetle.

Here is a link that might be useful: Flea Beetle
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qbush
Original Author
11 years ago
My quandry : Leave it growing as a beneficial? Pull it out as an alternate host? Any INFO???
Thank you Saltcedar!! Both for the plant ID, and insect ID.

Following your link, and researching solanum via image search on Google, I THINK this plant is Solanum americanum. It has a distinctly different leaf margin that Solanum nigrum . I find some information that it and other solanum variety plants (I have potatoes, tomatoes and eggplant growing currently) are favored foodstuffs for this very small beetle.

I am off with my camera to search the solanun plants for this weed. Above photo was made amongst the beets, which wouldn't be tasty to flea beetles anyway.
User
11 years ago
I see nothing about this plant that's beneficial especially
since it's hosting Flea Beetle. Nightshades may have uses
but like dynamite it can also be dangerous.

Here is a link that might be useful: Flea Beetle on beets.

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