Wild thorny fruit was once hated for being poisonous, but now it has become a 'gold mine' sought after by many people.

Both thorny and poisonous, why is this fruit now so incredibly expensive?

This is  the horse head fruit , a very familiar fruit in rural areas of Vietnam.

This plant grows all over the world, from America, Africa to Asia . In Vietnam, the plant often grows wild on ditch banks, vacant lots, even in the midlands, mountainous areas and the Northern Delta from Nghe An and beyond.

Solanum procumbens.

The scientific name of  Xanthium strumarium L. is Asteraceae. In our country, it also has many other names such as phac ma or bone ear.

The distinguishing feature of the horse-head plant is its many sharp thorns . If you accidentally walk past them, you will most likely scratch your hands and feet if you are not careful. Even more dangerous, the fruit of the horse-head plant is poisonous. If the plant is not cut down, the wild fruit that falls to the ground the following year will take root and grow vigorously, encroaching on cultivated land, affecting crop yields.

It can be said that in the eyes of many people in the past, they were often considered a worthless and hated weed. However, each weed actually has a valuable potential.

The poison of the Xanthium can be used as medicine. With a high content of sitosterol-D-glucoside, the seeds inside the Xanthium fruit become an effective "weapon" against bacteria , protecting wounds from infection. In addition, Xanthium also has the effect of supporting the reduction of anxiety and stress due to the active ingredient xanthumin ; helps limit sinusitis; supports the treatment of ulcers and pimples on the skin. 

Currently in Vietnam, dried Xanthium fruit is sold for about 150,000 - 210,000 VND/kg depending on where it is sold. In some other countries such as China, the price of Xanthium is cheaper, only about 30 NDT/kg, equivalent to 98,400 VND/kg.