Solanum scabrum
| Solanum scabrum | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 6 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Width: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Early Fall |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Solanum scabrum (common name: garden huckleberry)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in situ.
The seed can also be sown in a greenhouse during the spring if required since this will normally produce larger crops of fruit. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant out in late spring.
Cultivation: Succeeds in most soils[1]. Dislikes shade[1].
Caterpillars and slugs are particularly fond of this plant and can totally destroy it[K].
This is a cultivated form of S. nigrum, grown for its edible fruit. There is at least one named form[2]. See notes about possible toxicity at the top of this page. There is some disagreement among taxonomists as to the correct name of this plant. It is also listed as S. melanocerasum[3].
Grows well with clover[4]. Does not grow well with wormwood or white mustard and, when these plants are growing Closely related to S. nigra, they increase its content of toxic alkaloids[4].
Range: A form of S. nigrum derived in cultivation.
Habitat: Not known in the wild.
Edibility: Fruit - cooked[5][6][7][8]. Used in preserves, jams and pies[2]. A pleasant musky taste[9]. Only the fully ripe fruits should be used, the unripe fruits contain the toxin solanine[10][11][2]. Often cooked with some baking soda first in order to remove any bitterness. The fruit contains about 2.5% protein, 0.6% fat, 5.6% carbohydrate, 1.2% ash[8]. The fruit is up to 12mm in diameter[3].
Young leaves and new shoots - raw or cooked as a potherb or added to soups[5][6][9][7][11][8][2]. See notes at the top of the page regarding possible toxicity.
Medicinal: The whole plant is antiperiodic, antiphlogistic, diaphoretic, diuretic, emollient, febrifuge, narcotic, purgative and sedative[12][13][14][15][16][17]. It is harvested in the autumn when both flowers and fruit are upon the plant, and is dried for later use[12]. Use with caution[13], see notes above on toxicity.
The leaves, stems and roots are used in the treatment of cancerous sores, leucoderma and wounds[17].
Extracts of the plant are analgesic, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory and vasodilator[17]. The plant has been used in the manufacture of locally analgesic ointments and the juice of the fruit has been used as an analgesic for toothaches[18].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Mid Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: There is a lot of disagreement over whether or not the leaves or fruit of this plant are poisonous. Views vary from relatively poisonous to perfectly safe to eat. The plant is cultivated as a food crop, both for its fruit and its leaves, in some parts of
Also Known As: S. intrusum. S. melanocerasum. All. S. scabrum.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Philbrick, Helen and Richard Gregg. Companion Plants. Watkins, 1979.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Vilmorin-Andrieux. The Vegetable Garden. Ten Speed Press.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Polunin, Oleg. Flowers of the Mediterranean. Hogarth Press, 1987.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Read, Bernard. Famine Foods Listed in the Chiu Huang Pen Ts'ao. Taipei Southern Materials Centre, 1977.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Harrington, Harold. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press, 1967.
- ↑ Frohne, Dietrich and Hans Pfänder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Timber Press, 1984.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Crowe, Andrew. Native Edible Plants of New Zealand. Hodder and Stoughton, 1990.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Lust, John. The Herb Book. Bantam Books, 1983.
- ↑ Singh, Gurcharan and Premnath Kachroo. Forest Flora of Srinagar. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, 1976.
- ↑ Revolutionary Health Committee of Hunan Province. A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press.
- ↑ Emboden, William. Narcotic Plants. Studio Vista, 1979.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
- ↑ Chiej, Roberto. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald, 1984.