Silverleaf Nightshade: Solanum eleagnifolium
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Weed Description: A perennial
from rhizomes with distinctive silver or grayish leaves and purple to blue flowers.
Silverleaf nightshade is primarily a weed of agronomic crops, pastures, hay fields, and
roadsides that is distributed throughout the southeastern United States. Seedlings: Cotyledons are linear and covered with hairs. Stems below the cotyledons (hypocotyls) are covered with hairs and often purple-tinged. |
| Leaves: Arranged alternately
along the stem, linear to oblong in outline, ranging from 2 to 6 inches in length.
Leaves are covered with star-shaped hairs and have a silver to grayish cast. Stems: Stems may reach as much as 3 1/3 feet in height. Stems are branching and usually have spines. Stems also have a silver to grayish cast and are covered with star-shaped hairs. |
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Roots: Fibrous roots with
rhizomes. Flowers: Consist of purple to blue petals and a yellow center (anthers) that collectively resemble a star. Flowers occur in clusters at the ends of stems. Fruit: A round berry, approximately 1/2 to 3/4 inch in diameter. Berries are green when immature and turn yellow to brown with maturity. Identifying Characteristics: The grayish or silvery cast that is typical of the leaves and stems of silverleaf nightshade helps to distinguish this weed from most others. |