Georgetown University Medical Center Department of Physiology and Biophysics >> Complementary and Alternative Medicine
 URBAN HERBS: Medicinal Plants at Georgetown University
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HORSE NETTLE
Solanum carolinense

Location
South of Research Building wall.

Description
Horse nettle, a prickly plant, has violet, star-shaped flowers in small clusters.  The stamens form a yellow cone in the middle of the flower.  Its leaves are coarsely toothed or lobed.  Horse nettle stands one to four feet high and is seen in the summer and fall (Newcomb 1977).

History
Horse nettle has been used as an antispasmodic and sedative, most probably first by American Indians.  African Americans in the South once usedthe root and berries for seizures and menstrual problems (Le Strange 1977).   Horse nettle berries were also once used as a topical treatment for mange in dogs.  American Indians used leaf tea   sore throats or to treat worms; a topical preparation of leaves was used for poison-ivy rash (Foster 1990).

Current Medicinal Uses
Horse nettle is not commonly used medicinally today. See Adverse Effects.

Adverse Effects
Horse nettle contains solanine, a toxic alkaloid. All parts of horse nettle are poisonous, and ingestion of the fruit can cause death. Symptoms of poisoning include fever, headache, a scratchy feeling in the throat followed by nause, vomiting, and diarrhea. Ingestion of the unripe fruit causes abdominal pain and can cause circulatory and respiratory depression (Lewis 1998).

References
Lewis RA. Lewis’ Dictionary of Toxicology. Lewis Publishers (an imprint of CRC Press). Boca Raton, Florida, 1998:960-961.

Le Strange, R. A History of Herbal Plants. Arco Publishing Company, Inc., New York, 1977.

Newcomb L. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Little, Brown and Company, Boston, 1977.
Disclaimer
Information on this website is for educational purposes only. Many herbs historically used for medicine are considered too toxic to use today; some of these herbs have caused deaths. Do not ingest these herbs based on information on this website. We have not provided sufficient information for the safe medicinal use of any of these herbs, nor sufficient information for treatment of poisoning. All recreational use of these herbs is dangerous.
 Georgetown University Medical Center Department of Physiology and Biophysics >> Complementary and Alternative Medicine