Horsenettle is a perennial herb with branching rootstocks and creeping
rhizomes. Two distinctive vegetative features of the plant are the yellow
spines and the sessile stellate hairs with four to eight branches that
cover the stems and leaves. The leaves are alternate, mostly ovate with
sinuate to slightly lobed margins. Spines on the leaves are usually found
along the major veins. The inflorescences are 5-20 flowered in cymose
or racemose clusters. The petals are pale violet to white. The berry,
which looks like a small tomato, is bright yellow.
Interesting facts
Horsenettles are found in fields, pastures, woodlands, and waste areas
especially in sandy soil. The plant has been reported to be toxic to cattle,
sheep, and deer.