PLANT: Tropical Soda Apple
(Solanum Viarum) is an
upright, thorny perennial shrub with
oak-shaped leaves and clusters of
tiny white flowers yielding fruit.
IDENTIFICATION:
This shrub reaches 3-6 ft. in
height, upright to leaning,
multi-branched, hairy and covered
with broad-based white to yellow
thorns. Flowers appear in May-August
in Alabama. Small white clusters
with yellow to white stamen
projecting from center. Flowers
produce green to yellow spherical
fruit over one inch wide, sweet
smelling and attractive to livestock
and wildlife. Remains green over
winter in most southern locations.
Resembles horsenettle (Solanum
carolinense).
ECOLOGY: Occurs on
open to semi-shady sites. Reaches
maturity from seed within 105 days.
Persists as rootcrowns or green
stems in warmer areas. Spreads
rapidly by livestock and
wildlife-dispersed seeds as well as
seed-contaminated hay, sod, and
machinery.
HERBICIDE CONTROL:
Apply Garlon 4 (or Remedy in
pastures) or Arsenal AC as 2%
solutions (8 ounces per 3-gal. mix)
in water or a glyphosate herbicide
as a 3% solution (12 ounces per
3-gal. mix) in water with
asurfactant to thoroughly wet all
leaves and stems at times of
flowering before fruit appears.
Mocan be used to stop fruit
production. Herbicide applications
should only be made 50 to 60 days
mowing to allow for adequate
regrowth. Collect and destroy fruit
to prevent reestablishment.
WARNING: Arsenal AC
can injure or kill plants with roots
in the affected area. Always read
and follow label directions
carefully.
Source: Nonnative Invasive Plants of
Southern Forests, James Miller, 2004
Photo Credit: J. Jeffrey
Muillahey, University of Florida, www.forestryimages.org
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