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I have a plant which I've been told is a Deadly Nightshade - but the more I look into it, the more skeptical I am - for a start the berries are in large clusters, and it looks to me like a tree rather then a bush ( This relates to question this link where I ask how to get rid of it !). I'd really appreciate help identifying this plant.

I speculate that it must be some kind of nightshade based on the flowers and leaves.

I live in North Auckland, New Zealand, equivalent to US Hardiness zone 9. I suspect that the plant is not more then 2 years old.

Plant Image Closeup of Leaves Closeup of Flowers Closeup of Berries

The berries are about the size of cherries.

I have a couple of these on my property - about 20 meters apart, but they do not appear to be "taking over".

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davidgo
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1 Answers1

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Looks like Woolly Nightshade Solanum mauritianum: Flowers Seeds

Invasive in NZ, gets up to 10 meters tall. Comes from South America. Once established in a new area, it's spread by birds. In Africa, they call it bugweed.

The berries are toxic to humans, containing solasodine, a chemical relative of the potato skin toxin, solanine.

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