Can you post some pictures?

Thanks

Sounds like you're getting sprouts from the rootstock. If you can take some photos of the sprouts and post them in your message, that would be helpful. If the sprouts are coming from the roots, this might mean the top of the tree - the scion - which is the variety that has been grafted to the rootstock may be suffering, so take some photos of the whole tree as well. And, if you can snap some pics of the orange, and include the underside if there's a navel, that is also helpful. Navels are in season now, so if you have ripe oranges with a navel, you have one of the navel varieties, most likely Parent Washington navel. You can upload your photos to Photobucket, then copy the HTML code of each photo (NOT the url, but the HTML code string), then paste that directly into your message body, and when you click "Preview", you should then see your photos embedded directly into your message. Much easier for us to answer you on the forum that way :-)

Patty S.

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Here's the tree. As noted, we have just bought the house and moved in. We're just getting to the point in renovation/moving in to start working on landscaping and outdoors things. I have no idea if the previous owner intentionally planted anything under this tree, only that it alone has these strange tomato-looking plants growing and it is the only one that is starting to look stressed.

Here's a close up of the tree. It's producing blossoms but is starting to look yellow.

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These are things growing under it, in a complete ring. They produce blooms that look like tomato plants and then these green clusters. We're planning to hack these out but I want to make sure we do what needs to be done to make this tree happy again.

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These are not sprouts from the roots, but they certainly look to be in the nightshade family (see the little green fruits?). It's not surprising to me that the tree is stressed given that the bottom planting is competing with it for water and nutrients.

If I were you, I'd immediately pull out the growths completely and make sure they don't return, water the tree very well, and put it on a regular citrus fertilizer feeding regimen. You'll want to make sure the high Nitrogen fertilizer contains all the proper micronutrients including Fe, Zn, Ca, Mg, Mn, and Cu.

Tim

Tim is correct, this is Nightshade. Probably Black Nightshade, or also called Sunberry or Wonder Cherry (Solanum ptycanthum). All parts are poisonous, but ripe berries supposedly are edible in small amounts (who would want to try that??!!) I would carefully Round it up. It is persistent, and difficult to get rid of. It is definitely competing for nutrients, especially nitrogen with your tree. Citrus do not share well :-) They do not like things growing underneath them, especially high nitrogen plants (like lawns). If you have small children, cut all the berries off first, so they aren't tempted. Then pull or carefully dig out what you can, then round up what you can't pull out. And then fertilize as Tim has recommended.

Patty S.

Thanks guys, I took your suggestions and googled "Black Nightshade." Based on internet photos, this definitely is it. We'll rip it out tomorrow. We have no children. We have dogs, who luckily have not been plant-eaters, and a horse who will eventually be brought to this property, so I'll hunt to make sure there's no more of this growing elsewhere. Why on earth is it growing abundantly in this spot in my backyard in Phoenix? Weird!