Solanum linearifolium
| Solanum linearifolium | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Solanum linearifolium (common name: mountain kangaroo apple)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a warm greenhouse. Germinates in 2 - 3 weeks at 20°c. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. If growing the plants as annuals, plant them out after the last expected frosts and give them some protection such as a cloche until they are growing well. If growing as a perennial, especially in areas at the limits of its cold-hardiness, it will probably be better to grow the plants on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Give them fairly large pots (12cm or larger) because they have very strong root growth. Top growth might die back over winter, but the roots should survive if temperatures in the greenhouse do not fall below about -5°c. Plant them out in early summer of the following year. The plants will be somewhat hardier in their second winter.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Very easy, the cuttings root within a couple of weeks. Pot them up in fairly large pots and overwinter them in the greenhouse before planting out in early summer.
Cultivation: We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will succeed in Britain, though judging by its native range it is unlikely to succeed outdoors except in the very mildest parts of the country. Plants tolerate temperatures down to at least -7°c in Australian gardens[1], but this cannot be translated directly to British gardens due to our cooler summers and longer, colder and wetter winters. It is quite possible that this species can be grown at the foot of a warm sunny wall and be treated as a herbaceous perennial. As long as the roots are given a good mulch in autumn they should survive quite cold winters. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus.
Succeeds in most soils in a sunny position[2].
Range: Australia - New South Wales, Victoria.
Habitat: Shady forests in southern New South Wales and eastern Victoria[3]
Edibility: Fruit - raw or cooked[4]. It must be fully ripe, see notes above[5]. The fruit tastes much worse than it looks, it is sickly sweet and often bitter[3]. The quality varies from plant to plant and even from year to year from the same plant[3]. The fruit is up to 2cm long and contains a large number of flat seeds[3]. The fruit splits on ripening[3].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Mid Winter-Early Winter
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: Although no specific mention of toxicity has been seen for this species, it belongs to a genus where many if not all the members have poisonous leaves and sometimes also the unripe fruits.
Links
References
- ↑ Wrigley, John and Murray Fagg. Australian Native Plants. Collins, 1988.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Low, Tim. Wild Food Plants of Australia. Angus and Robertson, 1989.
- ↑ Cribb, Alan and Joan Cribb. Wild Food in Australia. Fontana, 1976.
- ↑ Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.