Flower profile
Western horsenettle
Solanum dimidiatum
Western horsenettle (Solanum dimidiatum) is a flowering plant in the Solanaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly April–June across the U.S.
Western horsenettle is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–June.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
Quick look
Solanum dimidiatum is a species of plant in the family Solanaceae known by the common names western horsenettle, Torrey's nightshade, and robust horsenettle. It is native to the central United States, where it grows in many types of habitat, including disturbed areas. In California it is known as an introduced species and a noxious weed.
- It belongs to the Solanaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 14 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Texas and Oklahoma. NatureServe
- In Texas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–June. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 10,096 research-grade sightings of it in Texas, ranking #55 among the 169 flowers on our Texas list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 710 research-grade sightings of it in Oklahoma, ranking #43 among the 159 flowers on our Oklahoma list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 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: S5, secure in Texas. 31 TAC 69.8
- 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
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: KS (S2), LA (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)
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 Western horsenettle in 14 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas.
Texas counties with USDA records: Anderson, Bandera, Bastrop, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, Bosque, Brazos, Callahan, Clay, Coleman, Collin, Comal, Comanche, Concho, Cooke, Dallas, Edwards, Ellis, Erath, Falls, Fayette, Fisher, Garza, Grayson, Guadalupe, Hamilton, Hays, Hill, Hood, Kerr, Llano, Lubbock, Madison, Marion, McLennan, Menard, Midland, Mills, Navarro, Nolan, Parker, Robertson, Runnels, Schleicher, Shackelford, Tarrant, Taylor, Tom Green, Travis, Uvalde, Van Zandt, Washington, Wichita, Wilbarger, Williamson.
Oklahoma counties with USDA records: Alfalfa, Blaine, Bryan, Caddo, Canadian, Carter, Choctaw, Cleveland, Comanche, Cotton, Craig, Custer, Garfield, Garvin, Grady, Grant, Greer, Hughes, Johnston, Kingfisher, Logan, Love, Marshall, McClain, Murray, Muskogee, Oklahoma, Okmulgee, Payne, Pontotoc, Pottawatomie, Tillman, Woods.
Names, range and relatives
Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Solanum perplexum, Solanum torreyi.
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 138 counties across 13 states; the most are in Texas (56), Oklahoma (33), Missouri (8).
Other Solanum on Bloomipedia (6): Carolina horsenettle, Bittersweet nightshade, Silverleaf nightshade, Buffalo-bur, Eastern black nightshade, American black nightshade.
More from the Solanaceae family (15 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Sacred datura, Tree tobacco, Jimsonweed, Desert tobacco, Long-leaved groundcherry, Thickleaf groundcherry, Cutleaf groundcherry, Desert thorn-apple.
More Texas flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile SODI.
- iNaturalist, Solanum dimidiatum: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Solanum dimidiatum (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)).
- Oklahoma: Oklahoma Noxious Weed Law (2 O.S. § 3-220).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Solanum dimidiatum (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: ASPCA.
- Photo: Linda Jo Conn via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.