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Jerusalem Cherryscientific name Solanum pseudocapsicum , [ so - LAN - num ] [ soo - doh - KAP - sih - kum ] or solanum capsicastrum , grows natively in Peru and Ecuador .
The small , bushy works bring forth drear green leaves and brilliant orange or red fruit .
you could find this industrial plant more often at Christmas fourth dimension , sold as house plant in many stores .
While the fruit calculate tasty like a cherry tomato plant , they are mildly venomous plants .
musical note : Solanocapsine is the toxin Jerusalem cherry contains , which is tight to alkaloid like solanine and atropine .
The Jerusalem plant is part of the Solanaceae family , also called the nightshade family .
It ’s also considered an invasive metal money in parts of Australia , New Zealand , and South Africa , where it ’s view as a weed .
Like many plants , the name is unmanageable to enunciate , so most people expend one of the following vulgar name :
The Jerusalem Cherry is an incredibly wanton plant to originate , especially when develop as an yearbook .
The plant life can also last for many years when overwinter properly .
Jerusalem Cherry Care
Size and Growth
The Jerusalem Cherry does n’t get very big , reaching about one to two feet tall .
It produces shining green leaves and stems .
As the flora matures , its light-green stems become woody and set out to turn brownish .
The foliage grow from stalks and are typically narrow and elongated with wavy edge .
Flowering and Fragrance
The star - shaped flowers appear in June or July . The flowers are low , white , and unscented .
After the 2nd or third year of growth , the Christmas cherry plant should set off to bear fruit .
The flushed or orangish berries look when the bloom ends , around September of October .
Light and Temperature
The Jerusalem Cherry grows well in bright light or fond shade .
While it can tolerate unmediated sunlight , it enjoys balmy kindling and temperatures .
It ’s suited for USDA hardiness zones 8 and above .
Just keep in mind that it does n’t survive in the danger of Robert Lee Frost .
Throughout most of the yr , keep it at about 70 ° degrees Fahrenheit .
In the winter , it can live on temperature down to 50 ° degrees Fahrenheit .
If temperatures get too insensate , get it indoors until the outflow .
Watering and Feeding
Water the works frequently during the active uprise point , except for during the florescence season .
In May , begin cut down lachrymation to encourage the flora to bloom .
Do n’t let the soil dry out out completely .
Give the Jerusalem Cherry flora food from May to June .
Soil and Transplanting
Regular potting stain is fine for solanum pseudocapsicum . It can grow in short soil but expect good drain .
With overwintered indoors , it needs repot in the spring .
apply regular potting soil and move up to a larger container if needed .
Grooming and Maintenance
Pinching growth when repotting serve promote a bushier flora .
Pinch the longer branches in April to get thick outgrowth .
How To Propagate Solanum Pseudocapsicum
Propagate solanum pseudocapsicum from cum or newspaper clipping .
propagate from cut is more complicated , with a limited chance of achiever .
sow from germ also requires work but tends to produce a more symmetrical works .
Collect the seeds from the dried fruit toward the end of the year .
After the fruit appears in September of October , allow it to wither and then remove it from the plant .
dry out the fruit and then take away the seeded player . lay in them in an gasbag for sowing in February or March .
Sow the seeds in moist soil in a propagating tray or container cover in charge card . check that the charge card offers ventilation .
TIP : For unspoiled solution , point the tray or container over a warmth origin to promote sprouting .
After the seedling seem , apply a matchstick to prop up the plastic book binding candid for good air circulation .
Position the lid so that no condensing drip onto the plants .
By the starting of outflow , the seedling should be orotund enough to divide into separate pots .
Solanum Winter Cherry Pests or Diseases?
CAUTION : The fruit is poisonous keep out of range of child . Do n’t leave small children or pet unattended around the industrial plant when the Charles Edward Berry appear .
The hopeful Marxist or orange color is attractive and may invite piddling ones to take a collation .
Some region regard the works an invasive species , primarily in humid regions where it can grow throughout the twelvemonth .
If the folio begin to turn yellow and fall down offduring the tender months , it ’s either get too much Sunday or piddle .
Move the plant to a shadier spot and limit watering .
A lack of pollination often head to a lack of fruit . The colored berries help make this plant life more ornamental .
To promote pollenation , use a cotton swab on the flowers .
If the newer leaf are small equate to senior leaves , the plant may involve reinvigorated soil .
Always repot in the spring and use a liquid fertiliser for plant life .
Suggested Solanum Pseudocapsicum Uses
This decorative menage plant helps bring color to porch and windowpane Beverly Sills in the fall and early wintertime .
Place it in a prominent smudge to show off the berries .
If growing around other plants , the Jerusalem cherry does n’t wish sharing blank with gravid - flower plants .
