Solanum viarum

Common Name: tropical soda apple

Family: Solanaceae

Common Synonyms: none

USDA Hardiness Zone: 8b-11

Growth Habit: Perennial Herb

Origin: Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay

FISC Category: 1

FDACS Listed Noxious Weed: Yes

Introduction Date: Earliest Florida specimen available vouchered in 1988

IFAS Assessment:

• North: PROHIBITED
• Central: PROHIBITED
• South: PROHIBITED

Description

Herbaceous perennial, bushy, prickly, usually 1 m (up to 2 m) tall. Sharp prickles on stems, petioles, and leaf veins. Stems and leaves with stellate and simple hairs (glandular or nonglandular). Stems armed with broad-based, straight or downward pointing prickles. Leaves simple, alternate, petioled, oval-triangular, to 20 cm long and 15 cm wide, angular lobed, surfaces with dense soft pubescence giving a velvety sheen. Inflorescence in small terminal clusters, flowers white, petals 5, recurved, anthers prominent, cream-colored. Fruit a globose berry, 2-3 cm diameter, green with darker veins, ripening yellow, seeds about 400 per berry.

Habitat

Disturbed flatwoods and pastures

Comments

Spreads extremely fast. Livestock and wild animals eat fruits and readily disperse seed. Established widely in central and south Florida.

Control Methods

• Manual: Mechanical: pull and destroy individual plants when practical.
• Chemical: Foliar (1% triclopyr ester, 3% Glyphosate 41.0% L, or aminopyralid (7 ounces/acre, provides residual control of seedlings), IFAS).
• Biological: NA

Control Notes

Note: Destroy fruit and treat plants immediately after detection (IFAS).

References

Dave's Garden. 2013. PlantFiles: Tropical soda apple, Solanum viarum. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/31829/. Accessed on December 10, 2013.

Langeland, K.A., H.M. Cherry, C.M. McCormick, K.C. Burks. 2008. Identification and Biology of Non-Native Plants in Florida's Natural Areas-Second Edition. IFAS Publication SP 257. University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.

Langeland, K.A., J.A. Ferrell, B. Sellers, G.E. MacDonald, and R.K. Stocker. 2011. Integrated management of non-native plants in natural areas of Florida. EDIS publication SP 242. University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.