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Cockroach berry

Solanum capsicoides

Also called Devil's Apple

Cockroach berry
Photo: Tauʻolunga, CC BY-SA 3.0

Solanum capsicoides, cockroach berry or devil's apple, is a small tropical nightshade shrub native to eastern Brazil that sometimes becomes an invasive weed in warm regions. It grows best in warm, humid conditions with bright light and well-drained soil.

Family
Solanaceae (Nightshade family)
Grows as
Shrub
Light
Bright indirect, Part shade
Water
Keep the soil evenly moist and let the top layer dry slightly between waterings.
Soil
Well-drained, fertile potting mix or loam.
Temperature
18–30 °C; protect below 10 °C
How easy
Easy
Safety
Toxic: Leaves, unripe fruit and seeds contain steroidal glycoalkaloids such as solasodine and can cause gastrointestinal upset.. Toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA).
Native range
S. Trop. America
Climate
wet tropical

About

Solanum capsicoides, the cockroach berry, is a species of flowering plant in the family Solanaceae. It is native to eastern Brazil but naturalized in other tropical regions, where it sometimes becomes an invasive weed.

Other Solanum plants

Dwarf Tamarillo · Solanum acaule · Sodaapple nightshade · Ethiopian nightshade · American black nightshade · Solanum arcanum · New Zealand nightshade · Solanum berthaultii · Tamarillo · Solanum brevicaule · Solanum cajanumense · Bitter Apple

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Solanum capsicoides by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

Pet safety from the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists.

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