Environment

Woolly nightshade

Woolly nightshade.Woolly nightshade. 

Common names:
Woolly nightshade, tobacco weed, flannel-leaf, kerosene plant, wild tobacco, tobacco nightshade

 

Scientific name:
Solanum mauritianum

 

Regional classification:
No classification - education only

 

National classification:
National Pest Plant Accord – banned from being sold, propagated or distributed

Description

Woolly nightshade is a spreading, peppery-smelling shrub or small tree that grows to 10m tall.

 

Stems:

  • whitish colour
  • branch and soft-woody

Leaves:

  • velvety and grey-green surface
  • whitish colour underneath
  • 10-35 x 3-15cm, with prominent 25mm ears at the base

Flowers:

  • 15-20mm in diameter
  • star-shaped
  • mauve to purple (rarely white) with yellow anthers
  • appear between January and December.

Seeds:

  • berries are round, 1cm in diameter
  • colour green ripening to a dully yellow
  • appears in clusters

Woolly nightshade flower.The flower.

Woolly nightshade grows rapidly, and is quick maturing, forming dense, tall stands.

 

It produces many, well-dispersed seeds most of the year. It tolerates wet to dry, salt, all well-drained soils, hot to cool, semi-shade, damage and grazing.

 

Why is it a problem?

Woolly nightshade will quickly invade wasteland, bush verges and poor pasture.  It is a major weed of horticultural areas.

 

Woolly nightshade produces a large number of fruit in autumn.  The seed is spread by birds, especially native wood pigeons.

 

Woolly nightshade can be found in gullies, on roadsides, neglected farms, orchards, plantation forests, wasteland and shelter belts.

Your responsibility

There are no requirements on land owners to remove or control this plant as there as we have not developed a Pest Management Strategy for woolly nightshade.  Landowners are encouraged to remove this plant where possible.

 

No person shall grow, offer for sale or distribute woolly nightshade. This includes the distribution of hay, seed, fill, rock or other material contaminated with viable plant material or seeds.

Recommended control methods

Site management:

  • Untreated cut stems resprout quickly. Rapid and profuse seedling growth will densely cover a bared site with 1-2metre high regrowth within one to two years.
  • Rarely invades intact habitats.
  • Maintain shade by planting dense cover.
  • Maintain rolling front of control.
  • Exclude livestock, maintain pest control.

Recommended approaches:

  1. Pull up all small plants.
  2. Cut & stump paint or frill (100ml/L Tordon BK or triclopyr 100ml/1L or Vigilant gel).
  3. Paint a 70cm high collar around stem (Vigilant) to kill standing.
  4. Make 2 cuts either side of stem & fill each cut (1.5mls Tordon BK).
  5. Spray Oct - Feb (60ml triclopyr +10ml penetrant/10L).

Disposal:

  • Mulch.

Caution: When using any herbicide PLEASE READ THE LABEL THOROUGHLY to ensure that all instructions and safety requirements are followed.

 

More information

For further information or control advice please contact one of our Biosecurity Officers at the Northland Regional Council on 0800 002 004:

  • Whangarei: Ken Massey
  • Dargaville: Peter Joynt
  • Kaitaia: Doug Foster

 

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