skip to main content

Texas Gardening

Please Help Me ID This Plant/Weed

14 years ago

Earlier this spring, a plant (or weed) started growing in a pot out of which I had pulled dead pansies. The pot was left on the patio, full of dirt. A plant started growing, and at first I thought it was perhaps some type of tomato or squash since the leaves initially looked like those and it was growing tiny white flowers that turned into small, round, green "seeds" that I thought would perhaps grow into something.

I now know that the pods get to be about pea size then turn from green to dark purple, and the mockingbirds love them. I cut open one of the pods, and it was similar to a tomato - fleshy inside with countless tiny seeds. I assume the seed arrived via bird poop. I managed to snatch a few ripe purple pods before the mockingbirds did, and I'm going to try starting new plants from seed since my gardening goal is to plant for the birds and butterflies.

I'd love to know what this plant is, whether weed or not. Below are two pictures; one of the whole plant and another that's a close-up of the leaves and "berries".

Thanks in advance for any suggestions...

Gretchen

Northern Brazoria County

South of Houston

Whole Plant/Weed

{{gwi:1358208}}

Close-up of Leaves/Berries

{{gwi:1358210}}

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

treelover
14 years ago
Gretchen: It looks like Chinaberry to me. If I'm right, it's an invasive, so you might want to reconsider growing it.

I had a couple of volunteers spring up and even though I pulled them when they were a couple of feet tall, they kept growing back from the roots. Finally had to dig the roots out completely.
treelover
14 years ago
Forgot to include this link:

Here is a link that might be useful: chinaberry tree
Related Discussions
help me id this plant....or weed!
Q
Comments (8)
That's a little too vague to be useful. Any kids small enough to put random leaves in their mouth shouldn't be outside unsupervised as a high number of native and/or common landscape plants would be problematic if ingested. I've not encountered any tales of pets poisoning themselves with this ubiquitous native. These plants make berries that can look edible. If one wanted to have a pokeweed plant in a cultivated yard with young kids, it would be easy to remove any berries low enough to be reached by young hands. I did the same thing with the Nandina at my Mom's house when my son was at that age. This looks like a fenced-in yard, not where many would want to have pokeweed, regardless of their feelings about nature/native plants. Lmcdonald, is that a solid patch of pokeweed in your pic? If so, that spot looks like a good candidate for smothering but I think you would need sheet metal or something equivalently strong to do it. Cardboard/newspaper and a little mulch will stop a lot of weed infestations, but probably not mature pokeweed (coming back from adult tap roots.) Digging that all up would be a chore nobody would envy. If you decide chemical warfare is necessary, please seek instructions specific to this plant, and a product known to be effective. You will probably find some discussions about it in the weeds forum.
...See More
Beautiful Flowering Fragrant Fast Growing Plant Weed...Help ID
Q
Comments (2)
Jimsonweed. I notice that it is growing next to a pile of soil. The seeds might have come in with it.
...See More
Help please with weed or plant id
Q
Comments (3)
The top two photos are asters, they'll bloom in the white, pink, purple range. They will attract butterfies ;-) However they can also reseed plenty more than you want--after flowering cut off the drying buds so they can't set seed and increase by copious amounts in your garden. I am not sure about the bottom photo but it does look like a Boltonia--which is another aster type.
...See More
Weeds or keepers? Upstate NY woodland plants id help please.
Q
Comments (15)
Oh boy!! Well, at this point I'm concentrating mainly on getting the garlic mustard out and only pulling others when they're right in with the GM. Hopefully the 2nd isn't as prolific as the GM, or I'll be in another world of hurt next year! I'm still dealing with the remnants of Jerusalem artichoke as well! Yeesh! OH BTW - could #1 maybe be an Actaea? I'm really hoping not to have to pull it - I've got a bit of it in there and it's actually kind of pretty in a group - I'm gonna keep an eye on it, and see if it blooms and what they look like.
...See More
gc77584
Original Author
14 years ago
Got some other responses and I think it's a West Indian Nightshade (Solanum ptycanthum dunal). The description - including size - and pictures match perfectly. Yep, it's considered a noxious weed, but so are some other plants used in wildlife gardening.

Reports of toxicity are varied but all seem to agree that a considerable amount of the berries and/or plant itself would have to be consumed to cause serious harm. I don't have to worry about children accidentally eating any of the berries, my yard is fenced and locked, and since the plant doesn't grow very large, I may try starting a few from seed since the mockingbirds appear to love the berries.

Everything I plant is for the birds or butterflies; had to get rid of the grape vines since the only things eating the grapes were possums and my dogs. After relocating a litter of 7 "teenage" possums and realizing I would never keep my dogs and the grapes apart (grapes and raisins are very toxic to dogs), I reluctantly had my vines relocated to someone else's yard.

Thanks again - if I see any Chinaberrys, now I'll know what they look like!

Gretchen
jolanaweb
14 years ago
I think that is common nightshade, my GF called it american black nightshade
bjb817
14 years ago
I also agree with nightshade....
treelover
14 years ago
Maybe what I pulled was nightshade then. It looked just like that. Don't think I'd want it in either case.

Didn't know that about grapes & dogs, either.

Glad I checked back here!

Related Stories

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Silphium Perfoliatum Pleases Wildlife

By Pollination Press LLC

Cup plant provides structure, cover, food and water to help attract and sustain wildlife in the eastern North American garden

Help Me Design My Wine Cellar - Please!

GARDENING GUIDES 5 Weed-Smothering Ground Covers

Let these landscape plants do the dirty work of choking out weeds while you sit back and enjoy the view

GARDENING GUIDES Let's Weed Out 4 Native Plant Myths

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Plant wisely for a garden that supports pollinators and requires less work

GARDENING GUIDES 5 Ways to Naturally Win the Weed War

By Jocelyn H. Chilvers

Show irksome weeds no mercy with these tricks for combating them sans chemicals

Ideabook 911: Help Me Finish My Foyer

By Becky Harris

EDIBLE GARDENS Natural Ways to Get Rid of Weeds in Your Garden

By Abundant City

Use these techniques to help prevent the spread of weeds and to learn about your soil

GARDENING GUIDES Pathway Plantings That Please the Senses

By LuAnn Brandsen

Add some color, life and intrigue beside your sidewalk with these 7 suggestions

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Bugle Weed, a Quick Ground Cover

It’s highly adaptable, suppresses weeds, reduces erosion and provide weeks of bright flowers. Just watch for invasiveness

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Native Plants Help You Find Your Garden Style

By Oakley Gardens

Imagine the garden of your dreams designed with plants indigenous to your region

Sponsored

More Discussions

Placing the TV on the wall and designing the artificial stone behind t

1

How cold is too cold for bare root bagged roses?...

12

Weed Treatment For Bermuda Grass

6

Crossvine oddness

4

iris not blooming well

8