There is much confusion between this species and Solanum laciniatum. Some botanists unite the two under Solanum aviculare whilst others say that Solanum laciniatum is a tetraploid form of this species[]. Solanum laciniatum is treated as a distinct species here.

Common Name: Kangaroo Apple

General Information

Solanum aviculare is an evergreen shrub that can grow from 1 - 4 metres tall. A short-lived tree, with soft-wooded trunk and branches persisting for several years, becoming woody at the base and straggly with age[].
The edible fruit is gathered from the wild for local use and is also used in cosmetic preparations. A very ornamental plant[], it has been cultivated for its edible fruit by the New Zealand Maoris[].

Known Hazards

All green parts of the plant are poisonous[] and so is the unripe fruit[].
All Solanum species contain greater or lesser quantities of spirosolane alkaloids, including solanine and solanidine. These are bitter tasting and potentially poisonous when consumed frequently[].

Botanical References

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Range

Southeast Asia - Indonesia to Australia - Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria; and New Zealand.

Habitat

Coastal and lowland forest margins and shrubland on North South and Chatham Islands in New Zealand[]. Disturbed areas in upland and mountain rain forest at elevations from 700 - 1,100 metres in Queensland[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	2.50 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Solanum aviculare is found from the warm temperate zone to usually higher elevations in the tropical zone. It grows in regions that experience hot summers and mild winters - it can be grown in other parts of the temperate zone with mild winters but generally also requires hot summers to ripen its wood if it is to survive the winter. It can tolerate temperatures down to at least -7°c in Australian gardens[]. In areas near its climatic tolerance, it can often be grown successfully at the foot of a warm sunny wall and be treated as a herbaceous perennial. As long as the roots are given a good mulch in autumn they should survive quite cold winters[, ]. Alternatively, it is possible to grow the plant as an annual. If the seed is sown in early spring in a warm greenhouse and planted out after the last frosts it can fruit in its first year though yields will be lower than from plants grown as perennials[].
A very ornamental plant[], it has been cultivated for its edible fruit by the New Zealand Maoris[].
Succeeds in most fertile soils in a sunny position[].
A fast-growing but short-lived plant[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[, ]. It must be thoroughly ripe because the unripe fruit is poisonous[, , , ]. It can be used as a sweet fruit or as a vegetable[]. Best harvested once it has fallen from the plant, the fruit will then have lost its unpleasant acidity[]. It tastes much worse than it looks, the fruit is sickly sweet and often bitter[]. The quality varies from plant to plant and even from year to year from the same plant[]. The fruit is up to 2cm long and contains a large number of flat seeds[].

Medicinal

The leaves are used for poultices[].

A source of steroids, much used in the pharmaceutical industry. The unripe berries are the richest source[, ].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is often used as a hedge[].
Used as a rootstock for the tree tomato (Cyphomandra betacea)[].

Other Uses

An extract of the fruit is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as a skin conditioner[].
The oil extracted from the seeds is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as an antioxidant, humectant, sin conditioner and skin protector[].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a warm greenhouse. Germinates in 2 - 3 weeks at 20°c. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. If growing the plants as annuals, plant them out after the last expected frosts and give them some protection such as a cloche until they are growing well. If growing as a perennial, especially in areas at the limits of its cold-hardiness, it will probably be better to grow the plants on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Give them fairly large pots (12cm or larger) because they have very strong root growth. Top growth might die back over winter, but the roots should survive if temperatures in the greenhouse do not fall below about -5°c. Plant them out in early summer of the following year. The plants will be somewhat hardier in their second winter.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, mid summer in a frame. Very easy, the cuttings root within a couple of weeks. Pot them up in fairly large pots and overwinter them in the greenhouse before planting out in early summer.