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I have just discovered I have some Deadly Nightshade plants growing on my property, and I'm not sure of the best way to deal with them. The plants seem pretty well established - they must be about 2 meters high.

My thinking is along the following:

  1. First pick off the berries and dispose of these (i.e. throw them in my tip - I have kids and would prefer these are not around)

  2. Next spray the plants with glyphosate on a sunny morning and leave for a few weeks.

  3. Cut the top half of the plants and burn (or chop into logs and put into tip. Attempt to pull the bottom half of the plants out and burn, along with the roots. If the plants won't come out at roots, cut them off at ground level.

Is this a practical solution - are there better ideas?

Niall C.
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davidgo
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3 Answers3

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Where I live in USDA zone 4 deadly nightshade is weakly climbing vine up to six feet or 2 M. There are patches around the neighbourhood.

It can be eradicated over a few years by hand pulling. If the roots put up a fight a sharp spade will do the job. Dispose of the material by bagging to the garbage.

Follow up every spring to remove seedlings.

kevinskio
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Personally I would pick up the plant and dispose it as garbage.

Between nightshade and glyphosate, what is the most dangerous? I think the second one.

Additionally I would not burn such plant. I think it could release in the air the active drugs.

Giacomo Catenazzi
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2

As others have pointed out, it is important to identify which "deadly nightshade" is the issue here. At least two plants are known by this name, the low growing vining Solanum dulcamara, an innocent little weed that causes panic among some people and the more troubling Atropa belladonna. The first one has the unfortunate property that the berries look like red and green jelly beans when maturing and parents have visions of kids seeing them as edible and randomly picking them and being poisoned. These concerns are not well founded, but it is natural for parents to exaggerate slight probabilities where their kids are concerned.

If the plant in question here is bushy (sounds like it might be) then it is likely A. belladonna, in which case the berries are poisonous and care is needed. These purple berries are not as attractive so present less of an issue. One solution, since this is not an invasive species, is to leave the plants as is as curiosities and take the time to show visitors and children carefully that the plants and berries should not be touched. The children can pass on the message to others.

Kids learn this kind of thing very fast. I recall as kids we had ready access to yew berries, which have a very poisonous seed surrounded by an edible fleshy layer. I don't recall any discussion about eradicating yew trees due to the poisonous seed, even though the berries are attractive.

Colin Beckingham
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