Davey Tree Flipbooks

10 APPLE OF PERU (Nicandra physalodes) PLANT DESCRIPTION Apple of Peru, or shoofly, is a broadleaf summer annual weed that can be seen from late summer to fall as an upright 3–4 foot tall plant with vibrant blue–purple flowers. Apple of Peru can also be seen as a seedling during early to midsummer. Apple of Peru is easily identified by its distinct bluish flowers and green, lantern-like seed bladder. LEAF: The leaves are arrowhead shaped with an elongated tip and shallow, rounded lobes. STEM: The stem and branches are smooth, thick, and hollow with pronounced vertical ribs. As the plant matures, it develops branches and produces flowers. FLOWER: Apple of Peru's flowers are bell shaped with five bluish–purple petals and a white center with five yellow pollen heads. FRUIT/SEED: After pollination, the flower petals fall off and a single berry full of seeds develops within the papery bladder. REPRODUCTION: Seeds are the primary means of reproduction with most seeds dropping below the parent plant. Mature apple of Peru can produce up to one million seeds per plant. Those seeds can stay viable in the soil for up to 20 years. WHY IT IS NOXIOUS: Apple of Peru is an agricultural crop invader with a history of herbicide resistance. It is poisonous to many insects, hence the common name shoofly. SEASONAL IDENTIFICATION WHEN TO FIND: Apple of Peru is most noticeable when it is flowering in late summer and early fall. Its distinct flower and lantern-shaped seed bladder make it easy to identify in these seasons. SPRING IDENTIFICATION = DIFFICULT Apple of Peru may germinate by late spring. Leaves are often covered in fine white hairs. Seedlings are just beginning to develop shallow round lobes in spring. SUMMER IDENTIFICATION = EASY TO MODERATE Arrowhead-shaped leaves with rounded lobes are attached to branching, smooth, hollow stems with vertical ribs. Bluish, bell-shaped flowers develop by late summer with green, five-sided bladders at each flower base. FALL IDENTIFICATION = EASY After flowering, the petals drop and each papery bladder develops a seed-filled berry. As the fruit ripens, the bladder turns brown, opens, and drops the fruit. WINTER IDENTIFICATION = MODERATE TO DIFFICULT This plant may only persist as a plant skeleton or seed into winter. SIMILAR-LOOKING SPECIES JIMSONWEED (Datura stramonium) flowers are similar, but they are long and skinny. The fruit is football shaped with sharp prickles. VELVETLEAF (Abutilon theophrasti) has a crown-like and upright seed capsule that looks similar from a distance to apple of Peru's seed capsule, but the flower is yellow and the leaves are fuzzy. COMMON MORNING GLORY (Ipomoea spp.) flowers are similar to apple of Peru, but this plant grows as a creeping vine. LOW HIGH ohio distribution roadside distribution growth seeds ability to dominate difficulty of control RIVM LEVEL OF CONCERN WHERE TO FIND: Apple of Peru is not prevalent in the state but has been found in northwest Ohio in agricultural fields, primarily in soybean fields. This weed is primarily an agricultural concern at this point. CONTROL METHODS: MECHANICAL: Mow in summer before flower and seed head development to reduce seed production. Hand pull individual plants. CHEMICAL: Make directed applications in late summer with selective herbicides before seeds are produced. Apple of Peru can develop herbicide resistance. CULTURAL: Plant tall fescue in fall; allow the grass to grow tall in summer. RECOMMENDATION SUMMARY: Apple of Peru is a summer annual weed that has shown an ability to develop resistance to commonly used ALS-inhibiting herbicides. For best control results, apply herbicide in midsummer to late summer before fruit develops. Since apple of Peru has a long flowering and fruit production period, continue applications after flowering to reduce seed production. Monitor herbicide applications for effectiveness due to apple of Peru's ability to develop herbicide resistance. If a second application is necessary due to poor herbicide results, use alternate herbicides with different modes of action. Mow only to reduce seed production. Hand pull to control individual plants. Plant tall fescue in fall and allow to grow tall in summer to provide competition with apple of Peru. Failure to control apple of Peru will allow individual plants to produce up to one million seeds that can remain dormant in the soil for up to 20 years. summer annual

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