What are these berries? Toxic or not?

[margali]

I'm south of Dallas Fort Worth, Texas. These plants are growing in my sheep pasture. The berries are small about thumb size and turn brown/black as they age. Are they toxic to livestock or humans?

 

[flowerbug]

I'm south of Dallas Fort Worth, Texas. These plants are growing in my sheep pasture. The berries are small about thumb size and turn brown/black as they age. Are they toxic to livestock or humans?
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i tried to find anything that looked like that, but have no luck with my searches.

are the sheep eating them or avoiding them? if so that might be a good enough sign to remove them on sight to keep them from being spread around.

 

[margali]

i tried to find anything that looked like that, but have no luck with my searches.

@flowerbug I'm picking up my sheep this weekend. Trying to figure out if I need to pull these or fence around them to keep sheep safe.

 

[flowerbug]

take some leaves, branches, and berries to your local agricultural extension office and ask them (call first to make sure they're open) - they should know or be able to point you to someone else who can help.

and if they can't help take it to the place where you are getting the sheep from and ask them.

this is what i can think to try further, good luck.

me would fence off the area until i knew better or remove if there weren't too many plants.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Based on a little online research, I think it's silver-leaf nightshade, Solanum elaeagnifolium. And if it is. then yes, it is probably toxic to livestock.

 

[baymule]

I don't have those plants here, first time I've seen them. So no help to you. Good call @Pulsegleaner

I do have black nightshade, with small black berries. I pull them up before they get berries on them, but there are always more that come up in the spring. It turns out, it's the berries that are toxic. I have observed the sheep eating the leaves of the black nightshade with no ill effects. I can't recommend that in this instance because I am unfamiliar with this plant.

Sometimes animals will eat toxic plants at certain times in the season. The reasoning is that they know when it is ok and when it is not ok. Nonetheless, I try to pull up known toxic plants. One plant they never eat is Poke. They never want that! I also research yard plants for being toxic, I won't plant them. Bulb flowers are toxic, daffodils, narcissus, amaryllis, etc. But I have never seen any animal sample them, they must really smell and taste nasty. It's ok, I love the pretty flowers! LOL

 

[margali]

I've emailed my Ag Extension contact but haven't heard back. I will avoid / manually pull as much as possible in sheep areas. Fun thing is wikipedia says they spread by rhizome, ugh.

 

[flowerbug]

Based on a little online research, I think it's silver-leaf nightshade, Solanum elaeagnifolium. And if it is. then yes, it is probably toxic to livestock.

my searches using "yellow orange fruits" didn't come out well - it never brought up that plant.

my first reaction was also a nightshade, but i never recalled seeing one with that color fruits that ended up turning black. the ones here that are most common are the ones that get green berries that turn black and the flowers are white. having learned my lesson some years ago when i see them i try to remove them entirely before they can drop fruits and spread more. the animals must like them because we find them here or there, but i don't know what animal it might be that most frequently goes for them.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

my searches using "yellow orange fruits" didn't come out well - it never brought up that plant.

my first reaction was also a nightshade, but i never recalled seeing one with that color fruits that ended up turning black. the ones here that are most common are the ones that get green berries that turn black and the flowers are white. having learned my lesson some years ago when i see them i try to remove them entirely before they can drop fruits and spread more. the animals must like them because we find them here or there, but i don't know what animal it might be that most frequently goes for them.

Well, I already looked a little like horse nettle to me so that was a start. I put "Solanum Texas" into the engine, went to pictures, and looked for similar leaves.

 

[Zeedman]

Based on a little online research, I think it's silver-leaf nightshade, Solanum elaeagnifolium. And if it is. then yes, it is probably toxic to livestock.

That does appear to be the most likely suspect, although in the photo, I don't see thorns on the stem.
Silver nightshade