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Solanum pubescens is a wild, spineless shrub from the foothills of southern India and Sri Lanka, closely related to the Turkey berry. It is not commonly grown as a houseplant, and its main value is its bitter fruit, which is eaten and dried.
Solanum pubescens is a wild shrub found in the foot hill areas of southern India. It is very closely related to the Turkey berry (Solanum torvum). This shrub does not have spines; leaves are smaller in size covered with dense sticky hairs. Flowers are larger, purple to violet, the flowering and fruiting is seasonal in S. pubescens. Flowering will occur from August to December. The fruits are around 1.2 cm diameter and is more bitter. Matured fruits change in color to orange.
It can be found in peninsular India and Sri Lanka.
The foliage is used as green manure for paddy cultivation. Immature fruits are very bitter to taste, it is consumed just like bitter guard. It helps to heal bowel complains and joint pains. Unripe fruits are slightly crushed in order to remove the seeds and then dried. Dried fruits are used in cooking. It is of more economic importance. Several ton dried fruits are coming to the market every year. Local inhabitants able to get some revenue out of it. Solanum torvum is also used for the same purpose, but it is not bitter to taste.
Nightshade · Dwarf Tamarillo · Solanum acaule · Solanum acerifolium · Sodaapple nightshade · Dutch Eggplant · Solanum adenophorum · Solanum adoxum · Sonoita nightshade · Ethiopian nightshade · Solanum africanum · Solanum agnewiorum
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Solanum pubescens 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.
