by Frances Cincotta
Two related seedlings new to my property have come up after the extended rainy season. One is the local native Solanum laciniatum (Kangaroo Apple) with purple flowers. This grows to a large shrub approximately 2metres tall and wide, but gets cut back by the frost badly in winter which is why I’ve avoided planting it in my garden. The fruits that follow the flowers are poisonous when green but edible when fully ripe (orange and soft). I have seen this shrub appear in Providence Gully Road Sandon this summer, and my neighbour Alan Burgess has also reported it appearing recently on his property for the first time.
Solanum laciniatum (Kangaroo Apple) Palmerston Street, Newstead, 11th February 2011
The second Solanum is not so welcome as it hails from Europe, Asia and northern Africa and is one of Australia’s worst weeds of intensive agriculture ( from http://www.weeds.org.au). It is called Solanum nigrum (Blackberry Nightshade). It has small white flowers. The green fruits you see in the photo go black when ripe. I am trying to pull all the plants out before the seed is mature.
Solanum nigrum (Blackberry Nightshade) Palmerston Street, Newstead, 11th February 2011
Natural Newstead 