Tropical Soda Apple

Solanum viarum

so-LANE-um vie-AIR-um

Solanaceae

Native to:  South America

Florida abundance and distribution:  Common in the peninsula where it can be a serious pest in pastures.  Not present in the western panhandle.

Recognition:  A large, sprawling, extremely spiny plant with round 1” fruit patterned like watermelon (green and whitish) when young, turning yellow when ripe.

Potentially confusion species:  The similar native soda apple has fruits that turn from green to yellow to bright red without developing the watermelon pattern.  It’s also weedy, but not as aggressive as tropical soda apple.

Other:  Tropical soda apple is on the federal noxious weed list.  Because it’s unpalatable to cattle and produces large quantities of viable seed, it can quickly cover pastures with impenetrable mounds and thickets.

Contributed by: David Black, Ph.D.