It's nightshade, a relative of tomato and potato.

Interesting! That grows like crazy at the Jersey Shore and its thorns/prickles are a real pain. Thanks for the info!!

Michael------Is this plant related to the Deadly Nightshade vine with the dark purple flowers??

The plant in my yard doesn't appear to be a vine and the flowers are larger and a light lavender color.

Florence

I'm not sure of the exact species name, but Michael's absolutely in the right ball park. It's something in the nightshade family (Solanaceae) and I suspect it's something in the genus Solanum (which in addition to some of the poisonous nightshades also includes eggplants, potatoes and tomatoes).

That's interesting.
I just saw something that looked just like this, down in West Texas -- but it was very small. Almost a "belly-flower." (You gotta lay on your belly to see 'em.)

And nothing about the bloom I saw there reminded me substantially of my Brugmansias (Angel's Trumpets) or Datura (Devil's Trumpet).
But the leaves you show here sure do.

Jeri

Brugmansia and Datura are also in Solanaceae. The flower in the post isn't that sort of a flower. It's much more like the flowers in the genus Solanum.

Definitly one of the Nighshades as Michaelg and Yorkrose said. I was thinking it was perhaps one of the Horsenettles. It is an enormous family and tons of species and a Genus still in flux last I heard. The local Ag people could say what it was exactly-Expect it to be poisonous. Very pretty.

patricia

Definitely looks like a nightshade of some kind. And most of the nightshades are poisonous. Thorns plus poison-- that's quite a set of weaponry this plant has!

I read somewhere once that the reason people used to think that tomatoes were poisonous (when they weren't thinking they were an aphrodisiac) was because of their close resemblance to potatoes. The fruiting part of a potato (the "tomato" of the potato) is quite toxic. Both, of course, are nightshades.

Rosefolly

Zeffy's plant is probably a Horse Nettle nightshade, as PatriciaE says. It grows through the candytuft on my bank. Deep-rooted and hard to get rid of, but I don't try very hard.

The flower is similar to the flower of eggplant and quite pretty.

The flower is similar to the flower of eggplant

Yes, and eggplant = Solanum melongena

Online sources indicate "horsenettle" is the common name for Solanum carolinense. If it is that species, it is toxic.

Be afraid, be very afraid.
Herbicides won't phase it.

But it looks rather nice.

And it comes in white and purple.

And it is a perennial that spreads underground by some of the most tenaceous roots you never want to try to dig up. And when you pull it, it comes back from the roots you leave behind.

How do I dare pronounce that such a lovely plant isn't wanted?

Because for over a decade I've been pulling it out of several rose beds. Season after season. Even Johnson Grass is less invasive. Morning glory- easy to control. Chickweed-dies in summer.
Horsenettle will be in the bed that was originally the line of Graham Thomas Roses. It will probably still be there in 50 years.

Oh, yes, one other thing. There's a potato beetle like critter whose larvae also look disgusting that will eat the leaves. But never you fear, the larvae don't eat the stems or fruit and the plant does rather well without leaves.

There's a potato beetle like critter whose larvae also look disgusting that will eat the leaves.

It probably is potato beetle. That critter (Colorado potato beetle) is native to the east face of the Rockies, where it made its living eating the native Solanum species of that area. It didn't start spreading until settlers showed up, growing their potatoes (Solanum tuberosum). It adapted to the new Solanum just fine and the rest is history.

(Oh, and its ability to detoxify Solanum toxins has played an integral role in its ability to rapidly develop immunity to the insecticides used upon it.)