Scientific Name:
Solanum pseudocapsicum
Pronunciation:
suh-LAY-num soo-doe-KAP-sih-kum
Common Name:
Jerusalem cherry, Christmas cherry
Family Name:
Solanaceae
Plant Type:
Flowering pot plant, Shrub - deciduous
Key ID Features:
Usually grown as a winter fruiting decorative indoor plant; leaves glossy, dark green, most blades elliptic, 5-9(-12)cm long x 1-4cm wide, margins wavy, petioles 2-9mm long; corolla white or mauve, 0.8-1.5(-2.5) cm wide, anthers yellow and relatively large; berries round, 1-2cm wide, poisonous (caution: some may mistaken them for cherry tomatoes).
Habit:
Upright
Form:
Oval - vertical
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
0.4 - 0.7m
Mature Spread:
0.3 - 0.6m
Origin:
South America
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 8a: (-12 to -9.5 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun only if soil kept moist, Part sun/part shade, Sheltered
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Indoor plant (Caution: poisonous parts)
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible, Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Glabrous
Colour in Summer:
Dark-green
Shapes:
Elliptic, Lanceolate
Apices:
Acuminate, Acute
Bases:
Attenuate, Cuneate
Margins:
Sinuate, Undulate (wavy)
Inflorescence Type:
Flowers clustered
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Rotate/stellate
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, White
Flower Time at Peak:
Jul, Aug
Additional Info:
Some may be solitary
Fruit Type:
Berry (true)
Fruit Colour:
Orange, Yellow, Red
Fruiting Time:
Sep, Oct, Nov
Additional Info:
Showy
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green
Propagation:
Seed, Cuttings
Optimal Temp.:
Medium
Light Level:
High
Maintenance:
Medium
Other:
Manual pollination required for indoor plants
Pest Susceptibility:
Aphids or adelgids, Blight or needle cast, Crown rot, Mildew, Mites, Mold, Thrips, Virus
