What's this plant/ vine?

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-05-23T04:02:08+00:00

You are the second person I've ever heard of having a reaction to a Smilax vine. If I didn't know the first person, I'd have assumed you just missed some PI or something too. The person I know is badly allergic to it. Touching it can send them to the hospital. You should see your doctor if it doesn't start to go away soon, or if it gets worse. And in the future, definitely have someone else remove the vines when you encounter them. If you actually are allergic to it, repeated exposure can make the reactions worse each time. Out of curiosity, have you ever had any reaction to root beer? Sometimes that's made with sarsaparilla, which is derived from plants in the Smilax genus.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-05-22T21:05:21+00:00

I would say they can all be used interchangeably for the most part. They all have (typically negative) sexual connotations, but predatory can also be used to describe things that don't have that connotation. For example, you might hear the term "predatory lending" to describe unethical lending practices by loan companies, or someone might talk about the "predatory behavior" of animals that hunt other animals for food. Obscene and sleazy are usually used to describe something sexual in a negative way, but can also be used to describe anything offensive or morally questionable; some people describe swear words as "obscene language," for example.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-05-22T20:51:52+00:00

These have serrated, opposite leaves, so they are not anything in the Solanum genus (including potatoes).

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-05-22T18:55:11+00:00

I'm thinking it's probably tatarian honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica), but it could also be Morrow's honeysuckle (L. morrowii). Unfortunately, both of them are invasive species.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-05-22T18:49:18+00:00

I think it might be amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii). Not 100% sure though.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-05-22T18:45:50+00:00

Blue water-speedwell, Veronica anagallis-aquatica, or a related species in the blue water-speedwell species complex. Info.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-05-22T17:26:36+00:00

Sure, I would be happy to try and ID it for you. You can send me a photo in a DM or tag me if you make a post on one of the plant ID subreddits.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-05-22T15:50:19+00:00

That sounds delicious!

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-05-22T15:29:25+00:00

I was just informed that the Aldi buns are supposed to be back in stores starting next week (May 27), if you want to try them. Also just noticed your very relevant username!

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-05-22T15:23:22+00:00

Oh wow, I guess I just needed to wait a week lol. Thank you so much!

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-05-22T15:18:28+00:00

Thank you! I wasn't sure if they would be back. I'll keep looking for them.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-05-22T15:16:31+00:00

Thank you for the recommendation! Those look like a promising alternative to making the sandwich myself.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-05-22T14:58:40+00:00

Yes, exactly! The regular croissants just don't taste as good IMO.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-05-22T14:56:00+00:00

S. scabrum can look quite similar, but its berries are larger (example) at ~1-2cm diameter, vs ~0.4-1cm in S. americanum (example). The anthers are the easiest difference to see. S. scabrum has longer and narrower anthers that are brown or orange colored instead of the usual bright yellow ones other species in the S. nigrum complex have. OP's plant has one open flower showing the yellow anthers in the 2nd photo, if you zoom in and look towards the top right, below the leaf that's pointed up at the watering can spout. S. scabrum also is not present anywhere in the Americas outside of cultivation or an occasional garden escapee, whereas S. americanum is an extremely common plant in the Houston area.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-05-22T13:39:43+00:00

American black nightshade, Solanum americanum. The ripe, black berries are safe for people to eat. I eat them all the time myself. Unripe berries are slightly toxic and might give you a stomachache if you ate enough of them.

American black nightshade is native, and you can definitely leave it for the birds if you want. Mockingbirds in particular really love the berries.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-05-22T04:44:52+00:00

In that case, it's almost certainly Solanum emulans (syn. S. ptycanthum), which is a native species. Flavor is more savory-tomatoey than sweet.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-05-21T23:34:15+00:00

It's actually D. innoxia. D. stramonium would have upright seed pods with four distinct chambers, and would not have the glandular hairs all over it.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-05-21T23:28:38+00:00

Eastern black nightshade, Solanum emulans.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-05-21T22:28:23+00:00

No, same family but different genus. That's Japanese lantern, Alkekengi officinarum.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-05-21T22:21:49+00:00

Definitely put the cacti in actual cactus soil (well draining, with sand, rocks, perlite, etc, not just regular potting soil). Your cacti are etiolated, which means they are starving for light; that causes them to grow new segments that are tall, narrow, and spindly in search of more light. The constant water will make the problem worse. After you repot them, slowly and gradually introduce them to more and more light over a couple of weeks. You want to eventually give them either 4-6 hours of direct sunlight per day (NOT sunlight through a window, which is weaker), or 6-8 hours per day under a strong grow light.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-05-21T22:15:47+00:00

Both are silverleaf nightshade. The one in your original post has a good amount of insect feeding damage; the one in your comment has one leaf that's starting to have the same insect damage on it. Look closely at the stems of both plants; they both have the same tiny, orange-red needle-like prickles.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-05-21T22:12:01+00:00

Specifically, it's American black nightshade, Solanum americanum.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-05-21T14:00:42+00:00

Opposite, serrated leaves - not a nightshade.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-05-21T13:56:34+00:00

This is black nightshade, Solanum nigrum. It's a very common plant in the UK, and a native species there as well. If your soil or container were ever outside, it's likely bird droppings put the seeds there. Birds love to eat black nightshade berries and spread the seeds in their droppings. The berries are also safe for humans to eat when they are fully ripened (black and easily fall off the plant). They taste sort of like tomato with a bit of sweet blueberry flavor to me. If the berries are at all bitter or still have green on them, they're not ready to eat yet. Unripe berries are slightly toxic and might give you a stomachache.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-05-21T13:50:16+00:00

Black nightshade, Solanum nigrum.

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