It looks pretty cute, but no plant has such a bad reputation. There are also purple flowers, which are very similar to eggplant and potatoes. If you look closely, there are many spines on the stem and the back of the leaves, and the impression of the appearance will change completely. The origin is North America, but its fertility is strong and it is now distributed all over the world. It is the famous botanist Dr. Tomitaro Makino who named it “eagle eggplant”, so it seems that it was brought into Japan in the Meiji era. In addition to being certified as a “designated alien species” in Shiga Prefecture, importation is prohibited by law in South Korea. The fruits produced in autumn are very similar to cherry tomatoes and, like whole grass, contain deadly poisons and even livestock die. It is a troublesome plant that is not effective against pesticides.

見た目にはとても可愛い花を咲かせていますが、これほど評判の悪い植物はありません。紫色の花もあり、茄子やジャガイモに良く似た花です。近づいてよく見ると茎にも葉の裏にも棘があり、様相が一変します。原産地は北米ですが繁殖力が強く、今では世界中に分布しています。「悪茄子」の命名者は有名な植物学者の牧野富太郎博士ですから、おそらく日本には明治時代に入ってきたようです。滋賀県では「指定外来種」に認定されているほか、韓国では法律で輸入が禁止されています。草全体もそうですが、秋にできるミニトマトに似た実にも猛毒を含み、家畜でも死ぬほどです。駆除剤も効かない厄介な植物です。