Growing
- Forest layer: Shrub to small tree.
- Growth habit & lifespan: Fast-growing, short-lived, multi-stemmed.
- Size: 2-6m.
- Site preference: Full sun to part shade, wide soil tolerance, thrives on disturbed, recently cleared ground.
- Water needs / drought tolerance: Drought tolerant once established.
- Fruiting / flowering season: Purple star-shaped flowers, followed by yellow-green berries.
- Propagation: Seed, heavily bird-dispersed, building a huge seed bank — extremely fast to recolonise any cleared ground.
- Harvesting technique: Not applicable, removal target.
Permaculture Function
- Permaculture functions: Fast biomass production, heavily outweighed by its weed impact.
- Wildlife value: Berries eaten by birds, the main spread vector, but a low-quality food source.
- Edibility / medicinal use: Not edible, toxic.
- Companion notes: Not applicable, removal target — replant cleared ground promptly to hold it against reinvasion.
Safety & Control
- Toxicity: Berries and foliage toxic (solanine-type alkaloids), a risk to livestock and a poisoning risk for children if berries are eaten.
- Control method: Never herbicide as the plan. Hand-pull seedlings while young. Cut and stump-treat larger specimens, since cutting alone triggers vigorous regrowth. Bag berries before removal. Given the seed bank, expect follow-up over several years, not a single clearing pass.