Author Topic: Passionberry - Solanum cleistogamum  (Read 2296 times)

Caesar

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 454
    • PR
    • View Profile
Passionberry - Solanum cleistogamum
« on: September 05, 2018, 11:52:10 PM »
Hi all. I've been looking for this one for a long time. There's little to no horticultural information about it online. I read about it through Outback Pride (Links one, two and three).

The only other major link I found that describes it in similar terms is The Bush Tomato Handbook (link here).

Apparently, it's the best of the bush tomatoes, and one of the best fruity solanums in general, highly aromatic, with a smokey caramel/vanilla/banana-like flavor.

Wikipedia treats it as a synonym of Solanum ellipticum, but that doesn't seem right. Most other places treat them separately, and the Handbook makes it clear that their fruits are very different, with S. ellipticum's fruit being considered very bitter. Even if they're the same species, they should probably be considered separate subspecies at least... It would be a very nasty surprise for someone to spend a couple of years growing S. ellipticum, hoping for sweet tasty fruits only to get some highly bitter ones at maturity. They're not interchangeable.

Does anyone have any experience with this species? They seem obscenely difficult to find, and I've failed to find even one source for them online. If anyone knows where to get seeds, please let me know, this one's high on the wish list.

D-Grower

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 969
    • United States, Florida, zone 8
    • View Profile
Re: Passionberry - Solanum cleistogamum
« Reply #1 on: November 10, 2018, 07:48:35 PM »
Searched fairdinkumseeds.com for the species you are trying to find. Alass he has none. However great guy I've dealt with many times. He has connects too perhaps he might be able to help you source some seeds. Know he's good for finding rare things if you can strike his interests.
Trying to grow it all!

Caesar

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 454
    • PR
    • View Profile
Re: Passionberry - Solanum cleistogamum
« Reply #2 on: November 14, 2018, 05:28:32 PM »
Searched fairdinkumseeds.com for the species you are trying to find. Alass he has none. However great guy I've dealt with many times. He has connects too perhaps he might be able to help you source some seeds. Know he's good for finding rare things if you can strike his interests.

I tried him a while back, same results. Apparently he's been looking for it for a while now. Here's hoping he finds it soon. I also asked about the Australian yam, no luck.