What is horsenettle?

Aggressive, flowering, fruiting, poisonous, prickly perennials are what horsenettles are.

Specifically, the plant in question (Solanum carolinense) has blue-, purple- or white-colored, five-petaled, yellow-centered flowers. Its has tomato-like, wrinkled, yellow-colored fruits. It has stems which quickly attain mature heights of 3 feet (1 meter). It pursues two super-aggressive reproductive paths: prolific seed-making and spreading underground rhizomes.

All parts of the plant nevertheless are best avoided. The stems harbor spines, which cause considerable discomfort and pain and which challenge extraction from human skin. Stems and all other parts of the plant -- including flowers and fruits -- have as super-effective defense mechanisms the toxic alkaloid solanine.