We will move up the state with the goal of eradicating and controlling this weed. Early detection is the only way to accomplish this. A perennial, TSA is a bushy, prickly shrub that can grow to heights of three to six feet. Immature fruit, about an inch in diameter, is green-striped much like a watermelon.
Mature fruit is bright yellow.
Because the leaves, stems and stalks have thorn-like prickles, the fruit is the only edible part. TSA is spread when animals eat the fruit, and seeds are passed through their digestive systems. The seeds are extremely hardy. It displaces native plants rendering pasture land useless, and it is a reservoir host for viruses that attack tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and eggplant. TSA was first discovered in Glades County, Florida in 1988.