PHOENIX — Buffalobur Nightshade. Solanum rostratum. Buffalo-bur. Buffalo bur. Colorado bur. Spiny nightshade. Mexican thistle. Kansas thistle. Texas thistle. Call it whatever you want. What you need to know it this weed is native to Arizona and it can kill you.
See what this lethal weed looks like in the video above!
Small doses of this weed can be deadly for both animals and humans! Like the best of villains, buffalo bur is deceptively attractive. Concealed underneath its vibrant yellow petals are rows of sharp dagger-like thorns. Not only are these plant swords sharp, but they are covered with a substance that can cause intense, lingering pain to anyone (human or animal) stabbed by them.
It gets worse. The most dangerous characteristic of the buffalo bur is that it is poisonous. This weed contains deadly glycoalkaloid solanine and other tropane alkaloids. Buffalo bur can also accumulate excess nitrates in soils high in nitrogen, so it can cause nitrate poisoning in addition to solanine poisoning.
Sounds fun right? Wrong. Keep your eyes peeled for this bad boy when you are out hiking or playing in your backyard!
