Solanum laciniatum

SOLANACEAE
Kangaroo Apple, New Zealand nightshade.


Native to SA, VIC, TAS and NZ. Shrub to 3m high.
Leaves are dark green above & lighter below with conspicuous veins. Irregular smaller juvenile leaves, older leaves are larger in arrangement of 3, regular lance shaped, 150mm x 30 to 50mm.
Bluish purple 5 petalled flowers, 30-50mm across with bright yellow central anthers in clusters or singly appearing in Spring to Summer.
Following the flowers are the egg shaped berries which are bright orange when ripe, 20-30mm long. Unripe berries are poisonous. Ripe fruit was eaten by Tasmanian aborigines. Produces fruit when more than 2 years old.
Stems are green to purple often striped, hairless, round to polygonal in cross section.
Appears in disturbed sites, fast growing in most soil types except salt spray areas. Often used in areas high in heavy metal concentrations making it very useful for reclaiming old mine sites.
Propagation from seeds is easy, requiring no pre-treatment, cuttings should be taken from Spring to Autumn. Good quick screen & soil stabiliser plant that is unfortunately short lived 5 to 6 years in good conditions as older plants tend to split at the base which leads to wood rot. Such splitting could be prevented to a degree by corrective pruning from a young age. Difficult to obtain from nurseries. Prefers moist soil & full sun. Top growth may die back in winter.
Research on the steroid containing young leaves for use in contraceptives has taken place in the USSR, NZ, India & Egypt since the 1960s.
Green berries will cause a burning sensation to the tongue & mouth & are toxic to humans & stock.
Hand pull young seedlings or apply herbicide spray being careful to control outlying infestations 5km from the source target to reduce the seeds being spread by birds.