Solanum quitoense

Solanum quitoense is a subtropical perennial plant from northwestern South America.  I've posted pictures of its fuzzy purple foliage and flower buds before.  It is a great plant that looks friendly and furry but the leaves have thorns on the bottom making it  both lovely and dangerous!  About 20 years ago, I went to an estate sale and found an interesting-looking little plant in a 4" terra cotta pot sitting in the kitchen window of the house. It was the only plant in the place and the outside garden was not that of a plant freak.  Anyway, I took the little thing home, potted it up, put it outside for the summer and it soon became a three foot giant.  Finally, I was able to identify the plant and for several years, I hauled in inside every winter but eventually, it got too big and/or I got too lazy and I left it outside for the winter and it died.  By that time Jungle Fever was getting them in and so I thought I'd just start the game again but for the next few years, there were none to be found!  However I saw some on the Mesogeo Nursery Nursery (alas, it is no more) website and drove over to Bainbridge Island to find that they had none available for sale but they kindly sold me some cuttings which rooted nicely for me.  Because I had three plants I tried them in various spots for the winter; one in the dark but never under 50 degree basement to go dormant with the brugmansias, one in an unheated greenhouse and one in a sunny bay window inside.  The only location that S. quitoense survived in was the sunny window inside the house.  This plant, the survivor, now winters in that favorite spot.

 The leaf shape is reminiscent of datura and brugmansia to which it is related but the blooms more closely resemble those of potatoes and some other solanum/nightshade family members.

 Called naranjilla (little orange) in Equador and Panama, the fruit has a citrus flavor sometimes described as a combination of rhubarb and lime.  The juice of the fruit is green and is a prized drink in parts of South America and is also used to make wine.  Read more here.

This plant is not hardy here and is not supposed to fruit in temporate climates.  However, this year, as I was admiring the plant, I noticed that it is covered in little fruits.

How exciting! 

 These will probably not have time to ripen and will perhaps all fall off when I shock the plant by cutting off the roots that have grown ot of the drain holes and into the surrounding soil in order to take it inside,  but it's exciting to see them for the first time.

On the other hand, if they do make it, you can all come over in a few weeks for fresh naranjilla juice!

 I hope your Monday is filled with fun surprises!