Flower profile
Silverleaf nightshade
Solanum elaeagnifolium
Silverleaf nightshade is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 4 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–September.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
Quick look
Solanum elaeagnifolium, the silverleaf nightshade or silver-leaved nightshade, is a species of plant in the nightshade family native to North and South America. It is common in parts of southwestern USA, and sometimes weed of western North America. Other common names include prairie berry, silverleaf nettle, white horsenettle or silver nightshade. In South Africa it is known as silver-leaf bitter-apple or satansbos.
- It belongs to the Solanaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 28 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and Oklahoma. NatureServe
- In Texas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–September. iNaturalist
- In Arizona, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–September. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 32,790 research-grade sightings of it in Texas, ranking #3 among the 109 flowers on our Texas list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 6,134 research-grade sightings of it in Arizona, ranking #13 among the 109 flowers on our Arizona list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 5,680 research-grade sightings of it in New Mexico, ranking #5 among the 109 flowers on our New Mexico list. iNaturalist
Silverleaf nightshade gift ideas
Handmade silverleaf nightshade gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Silverleaf nightshade art print
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Silverleaf nightshade greeting card
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Silverleaf nightshade mug
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Silverleaf nightshade earrings
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Silverleaf nightshade embroidery pattern
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Silverleaf nightshade sticker
When does it bloom?
Bloom time in each of our 4 states
| State | Type | Peak bloom | Sightings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | Native | April–September | 32,790 |
| Arizona | Native | April–September | 6,134 |
| New Mexico | Native | May–September | 5,680 |
| Oklahoma | Native | April–August | 1,667 |
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G4 Apparently secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Texas
- Not listed Not on Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Texas. 31 TAC 69.8
- Arizona
- Not listed Not on Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arizona. AAC R3-3 App. A
- New Mexico
- Not listed Not on New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Mexico. 19.21.2.9 NMAC
- Oklahoma
- No list Oklahoma has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Oklahoma ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Oklahoma.
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
ASPCA's entry “Deadly Nightshade” (Solanum spp), which covers the whole genus, lists it as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Signs include: Hypersalivation, inappetence, severe gastrointestinal upset, diarrhea, drowsiness, CNS depression, confusion, behavioral change, weakness, dilated pupils, slow heart… ASPCA
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records silverleaf nightshade in 28 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington.
Texas counties with USDA records: Anderson, Andrews, Archer, Armstrong, Bailey, Bastrop, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, Bowie, Brazos, Brewster, Briscoe, Brown, Burleson, Caldwell, Calhoun, Callahan, Cameron, Carson, Castro, Chambers, Childress, Clay, Collingsworth, Colorado, Comal, Cottle, Crane, Crockett, Crosby, Culberson, Dallam, Dallas, Deaf Smith, Denton, Dickens, Donley, Duval, Eastland, Edwards, El Paso, Ellis, Erath, Fayette, Fisher, Floyd, Foard, Frio, Galveston, Garza, Gillespie, Goliad, Gonzales, Gray, Grayson, Grimes, Guadalupe, Hale, Hall, Hansford, Hardeman, Harris, Hartley, Hays, Hemphill, Hidalgo, Hill, Hockley, Hood, Hudspeth, Hutchinson, Jeff Davis, Jim Hogg, Johnson, Jones, Karnes, Kaufman, Kenedy, Kimble, King, Kinney, Kleberg, Knox, Lamb, Lampasas, Leon, Lipscomb, Loving, Lubbock, Madison, Marion, Martin, Maverick, McLennan, McMullen, Midland, Milam, Mills, Moore, Motley, Nacogdoches, Navarro, Ochiltree, Oldham, Orange, Parker, Parmer, Pecos, Potter, Presidio, Randall, Reagan, Real, Roberts, Robertson, Runnels, San Patricio, San Saba, Schleicher, Shackelford, Somervell, Starr, Sterling, Swisher, Tarrant, Taylor, Terrell, Titus, Tom Green, Travis, Upton, Val Verde, Victoria, Waller, Webb, Wheeler, Wichita, Willacy, Williamson, Winkler, Wood, Yoakum, Zapata.
Arizona counties with USDA records: Apache, Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Navajo, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz, Yavapai, Yuma.
New Mexico counties with USDA records: Bernalillo, Chaves, Cibola, Curry, De Baca, Dona Ana, Eddy, Grant, Guadalupe, Harding, Lea, Lincoln, Los Alamos, McKinley, Mora, Quay, Rio Arriba, Roosevelt, San Juan, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Socorro, Torrance, Union.
More Texas flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile SOEL.
- iNaturalist, Solanum elaeagnifolium: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Solanum elaeagnifolium (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Texas: Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife.
- Texas: Texas noxious and invasive plant list (4 Tex. Admin. Code § 19.300(a)).
- Arizona: Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025).
- Arizona: Arizona prohibited noxious weeds (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-4-245).
- New Mexico: New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC).
- New Mexico: New Mexico Noxious Weed List (NM Department of Agriculture, updated June 2020).
- Oklahoma: Oklahoma Noxious Weed Law (2 O.S. § 3-220).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Solanum elaeagnifolium (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: ASPCA.
- Photo: Linda Jo Conn via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.