Horse Nettle Plant Care

Horse Nettle (Solanum carolinense) belongs to the Solanaceae family within the Solanum genus. Horse Nettle is native to the southeastern United States. Horse Nettle is also known as Carolina Horsenettle, Devil's Tomato, Apple of Sodom.

Horse Nettle displays an upright, branching shrub growth habit, reaching up to 3 ft tall with a spread of approximately 2 ft. Horse Nettle produces small star-shaped flowers in clusters.

Leaf size: approximately 6 inches.

Water a young or newly planted Horse Nettle every 7–10 days, soaking the whole root zone, until it is established — usually one to two growing seasons. Established shrubs mainly need water during long dry spells. In a container, water whenever the top few centimetres of soil are dry.

Horse Nettle thrives in full sun to partial shade.

Solanum carolinense tolerates temperatures of 60–85°F. Horse Nettle prefers humidity levels of 40–70%.

Well-draining, fertile loamy soil with added compost. Good drainage is essential for Horse Nettle to prevent waterlogging, which leads to root rot and fungal issues.

Feed Horse Nettle every 4 months during the growing season with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer at the rate on the label. Established shrubs in good soil often need little extra feeding, so let weak growth or pale foliage guide you.

Stop feeding by late summer so new growth can harden before winter.

The PlantoScan app can remind you when to water and when to fertilize each plant.

Choose a spot with full sun to partial shade and well-draining, fertile loamy soil with added compost. Avoid low spots where water collects after rain.

Horse Nettle is suited to USDA Zone 13a.

Plant container-grown or balled-and-burlapped shrubs in spring or early autumn, setting the root flare at soil level, and water well after planting.

Horse Nettle can spread to about 2 ft (0.6 m) and reach about 3 ft (1 m) tall. Space plants about 2 ft (0.6 m) apart so mature crowns don't crowd each other, and plant at least half that distance from buildings, fences and paths.

Planning a row or hedge? Try the plant spacing calculator.

Prune Horse Nettle while it is dormant in late winter: first remove dead, damaged and crossing branches, then thin lightly for shape.

If it flowers in spring, prune right after flowering instead so you don't remove next year's buds. Never take off more than about a quarter of the shrub in one year.

Horse Nettle is frost-tender (hardy to USDA zone 13). In colder areas grow it in a container and move it to a bright, frost-free place before the first frost.

Horse Nettle can be propagated through seeds, stem cuttings. Similar propagation techniques also apply to trailing nightshade plant care, which shares the same genus.

See all plants toxic to cats and plants toxic to dogs.

Horse Nettle is susceptible to aphids, whiteflies, spider mites. Inspect the foliage regularly, especially along leaf undersides and stems. Treat infestations promptly with insecticidal soap or neem oil to prevent spread.

Yellow leaves, brown tips or drooping? See common plant problems and how to fix them.

Horse Nettle grows outdoors in USDA Zone 13a. It survives winters down to planting zone 13a. Horse Nettle is native to the southeastern United States. In cooler regions, grow Horse Nettle as a houseplant or bring it indoors before the first frost.