|                    Bahama nightshade
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                |                    Solanum bahamense  
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                |                    Solanaceae 
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                 Landscape Uses:
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                 Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations.  Also an accent shrub in coastal areas. | 
               
                Ecological Restoration Notes:  | 
               
              
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                | Availability: | 
               
              
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                 Grown by enthusiasts. Available in Key West at Key West Botanical Garden.
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                | Description: | 
               
              
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                 Medium shrub with an erect stem.  Branches and leaves sometimes spiny.  Leaves slightly hairy beneath. | 
               
              
                | Height: | 
               
              
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                 About 4-6 feet in height.  About as broad as tall. | 
               
              
                | Growth Rate: | 
               
              
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                 Moderate. | 
               
              
                | Range: | 
               
              
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                 Monroe County Keys north along the east coast to Martin County; West Indies. | 
               
              
                | Habitats: | 
               
              
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                 Coastal hammocks. | 
               
              
                | Soils: | 
               
              
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                 Moist, well-drained sandy or limestone soils, with humusy top layer. | 
               
              
                | Nutritional Requirements: | 
               
              
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                 Moderate; can grow in nutrient poor soils, but needs some organic content to thrive. | 
               
              
                | Salt Water Tolerance: | 
               
              
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                 Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water. | 
               
              
                | Salt Wind Tolerance: | 
               
              
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                 High; can tolerate moderate amounts of salt wind without significant injury. | 
               
              
                | Drought Tolerance: | 
               
              
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                 Moderate; generally requires moist soils, but tolerant of short periods of drought once established. | 
               
              
                | Light Requirements: | 
               
              
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                 Light shade. | 
               
              
                | Flower Color: | 
               
              
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                 Purple petals with yellow anthers. | 
               
              
                | Flower Characteristics: | 
               
              
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                 Semi-showy, about 1/2" wide. | 
               
              
                | Flowering Season: | 
               
              
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                 All year. | 
               
              
                | Fruit: | 
               
              
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                 Bright red berry, produced in rows. | 
               
              
                | Wildlife and Ecology: | 
               
              
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                | Horticultural Notes: | 
               
              
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                 Can be grown from seed. | 
               
              
                | Comments: | 
               
              
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                    Beryn Harty, 2015 Monroe County Keys, Florida, USA
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