Description
Solanum pyracanthos (aka S. pyracanthum or S. pyracanthon) | Porcupine Tomato
Porcupine Tomato, also called Devil’s Thorn, is a close relative to the edible tomato and is native to Madagascar. It has beautiful star-shaped, blue-purple flowers with bright-yellow centers that turn into small ornamental fruits, however the main standout feature, as the name suggests, are the wicked, fiery, red-orange spines that cover most of the plant, including the slender branches and stems and underside and top side of the beautiful bluish-green, lobed leaves. There are few places you can touch this plant and not get poked! If pollinated, the flowers develop into yellowish-green, marble-sized fruits that are also, of course, topped with a spikey-cap.
Plants grow as bushy greenery, reaching 3-4 feet tall, and are often staked or caged like tomatoes. May perform and look best in a container.
Grows best in full sun, but will tolerate part shade. Protect from frost. In warmer climates (9-11), plants will develop a woody stem and can overwinter to produce the following year. They can also be kept alive by overwintering in a greenhouse.
The sharp spikes that cover the entire plant make it resistant to animals. If you are to touch the plant anywhere you will need to use gloves due to the spikes. To harvest, pull the fruit gently from the stalk. When they’re fully ripe, the spines will fold away from the fruit and the fruits will easily come off the stem. If you have trouble harvesting, they’re likely not ripe yet.
Type: Annual or perennial
Sun exposure: Full sun
Mature height: 3-4 ft
Mature width: 3.5 ft
Hardiness zones: 9-11
The plant you will receive will be one of these plants or a similar one.
Please note: We ship plants orders out on Mondays and Tuesdays only.
