Woolly nightshade control

Woolly Nightshade Control 

Common Name: woolly nightshade, tobacco weed,  wild tobacco tree

Scientific Name: Solanum mauritianum 

Description: Woolly nightshade is a tree with large pale grey/green hairy “woolly” leaves and attractive purple flowers.   It is a quick grower, which matures, flowers and seeds rapidly. 

Problem: The problem with woolly nightshade is that it is highly invasive.  It is a quick growing plant that can reach in excess of 5 metres tall.  The trees form dense stands that prevent the growth of other plants.  They fruit prolifically and birds can widely spread the seed.  Without woolly nightshade control plans, it can quickly take over areas of forest margin, scrub, farm land, hill country, waterway margins and reserves.  The plant is thought to be toxic to stock and can affect humans.  Woolly nightshade control on private property is enforced by some Regional Councils. 

Woolly Nightshade Control:  The best time for woolly nightshade control is now!  Woolly nightshade can be controlled in any season and the easiest way to stop potential infestations is to hand pull seedlings as soon as they are identified.  As the trees become larger the whole exercise in pest plant control becomes more expensive.  Simply cutting down the tree and leaving it is not enough, as the plant will re-grow from the stump that is left.  To counter this problem, the stumps must be treated as soon as practical by stump pasting with a herbicide.Woolly nightshade control can also be achieved through scarfing or drilling, but this is not always as effective and re-treatment maybe necessary.  Targeted Pest Solutions recommends cutting and stump pasting with a herbicide as the preferred method of woolly nightshade control.