Common Name:

General Information

Solanum peruvianum is a spreading to erect herbaceous perennial to small shrub that becomes woody at the base[]. It grows up to 50cm tall[].
The edible fruit is gathered from the wild and consumed locally.

Known Hazards

All green parts of the plant are poisonous[].
Although providing many well-known foods for people, including the potato, tomato, pepper and aubergine, most species in this genus also contain toxic alkaloids. Whilst these alkaloids can make the plant useful in treaing a range of medical conditions, they can also cause problems such as nausea, vomiting, salivation, drowsiness, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, weakness and respiratory depression[].
Unless there are specific entries with information on edible uses, it would be unwise to ingest any part of this plant[].

Botanical References

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Range

Western S. America - northern Chile to central Peru.

Habitat

Western slopes of the Andes; at elevations below 2,900 metres[]. In lomas formations and occasionally in coastal deserts, occasionally occurring as a weed at field edges in coastal river valleys, at elevations from sea level up to 600 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.50 m
Pollinators	Insects, Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Solanum peruvianum is native to subtropical and tropical zones of the Andes of northern Chile and central Peru, growing at elevations up to 2,900 metres. Plants are not frost-hardy, but can be grown as an annual in warmer regions of the temperate zone.
Requires a rich well-drained soil in a sunny position.
The plant can flower and fruit all year round[].
In cool wet summers the total yields are likely to be low[].
This species does not hybridize with Solanum lycopersicon[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[]. The fruit is green and hairy but has a sweet tomato-like flavour[]. The fruit is about 7mm in diameter[]. The fruit is 10 - 15mm in diameter[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring in a warm greenhouse. Germination is usually quick and good. Pot up the seedlings into individual pots of fairly rich compost as soon as the first true leaf appears and plant them out after the last expected frosts.
Seed can also be sown in situ under a cloche at the end of mid spring, though in a cool summer the results may be disappointing.
The seedcoat may carry tomato mosaic virus. However, by sowing the seed 15mm deep the seedcoat will remain below the soil surface when the seed germinates and the disease will be inactivated[].