Posted by
Bonehead (Planet Earth - Zone 8b) on Dec 13, 2015 11:14 AM concerning plant:
Native to the American Neotropics, this plant has become highly invasive in other tropical regions and is listed in the top 100 of the world's worst by the IUCN Invasive Species Specialist Group. Koster inadvertently introduced this to the Hawaiian Islands in the 1880s. It smothers and competes with native vegetation. The black berries contain many seeds and are edible to humans, birds, and feral pigs (which helps spread the plant). Sheep won't eat the berries, and they are toxic to goats. It is also known as soapbush, although I have not found what part of the plant that refers to.
