Skip to main content
← Plants for Bees
Horse Nettle
Horse Nettle botanical plate
Field guide plate · click to zoom

Horse Nettle

Solanum carolinense
In the United States: Native · also called Carolina horsenettle, bull nettle, devil's potato

Horse nettle offers pollen as the primary reward to foraging bees, with honeybees collecting it alongside bumblebees and carpenter bees that are the main pollinators. Peak bloom occurs in midsummer, providing a consistent source during late-season forage gaps. The plant's thorny structure and toxic berries and foliage necessitate gloves for handling and exclusion from grazed areas to prevent poisoning.

Nectarlow
Pollenmedium
Bloom (US) June–September
TypePerennial
Sunfull
BeeAI — Ask the old beekeeper
Hey there, honey. Ask me anything about your bees.