Naranjilla or Lolu
Solanum quitoense Lam.

I’m interested in the Naranjilla fruit. I’ve read a lot about it and I want to buy some plants or seeds.
From what I’ve read there are variation noticeable from planting the seeds from the fruit. But there aren’t any named varieties as of yet.
I would like to save some time and find the best variety for flavor. I would be looking for concentrated flavor for culinary uses such as flavoring ice cream, jams and making wine.
I can find frozen pulp but it's more fun to grow your own.
But maybe it doesn’t make a difference which one I get. Can anyone guide me on this?


http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/naranjilla_ars.html
Terry

Terry,

I have grown Solanum quitoense (AKA Quito Orange) as an ornamental. The large spiny leaves, and orange fruit, stand out in the garden, and make a good conversation piece. After the novelty wore off, I quite growing it. Of course, as with anything edible, I had to try it for taste. The one I had was bland, without much taste at all, plus it was full of seed. The seed were much like those of an eggplant but much more numerous. I have been told by persons that have spent time in the region where they are grown, that the ones grown for fruit are much tastier.

Ned

Terry, FYI: I read up on this plant and I know it is listed as an edible.
Do be aware it is a member of the nightshade family, and you will probably want to limit what you eat (or drink, if you make wine) of it.

It is reported that nightshades contain high levels of alkaloids which cause the bones to excrete calcium, other minerals, and trace elements from the body. Many enlightened doctors and nutritionists recommend that those suffering from arthritis symptoms eliminate nightshades.

If you Google "nightshade family" you will get plenty of info on it's negative
side.

Mine don't seem to have spines except one at the end of the leaf that isn't so bad. Suffering a lot of insect damage though. All my nightshade plants are . . .

Terry, if I remember correctly, Naranjilla was the subject of an article in a past issue of CRFG magazine "The Fruit Gardner". If you are a CRFG member you might look up Naranjilla in a past issue. - Millet (1,177-)

(sorry for replying to an old post)

I've tried growing naranjilla along with some other South American Solanaceae species indoors and in a greenhouse. Didn't set fruit for me, but I think I got some flowers, I think the temperatures were not right for these plants (either too low or too high). Plant is rather interesting looking, with mean spikes all over it, even sticking out of the leaves.

Some flower shops have lately had naranjilla (Solanum quitoense or S. hirsutissimum) for sale under the name "Jurassica", claiming that this plant has fought with Tyrannosaurus rex in the jurassic period, which obviously is just a load of crap. In the jurassic period, 200-400 million years ago, there was only one continent in the world, Pangaia, and if the plant had lived there, it should now live on all continents and not just in S-America. So the maximum age for the species is 130 million years (that's when South America detached). Tyrannosaurus rex lived only in North America, so it had quite a journey before it was able to fight with the spikes of Naranjilla Those marketing people, they really have good imagination - if the plant has spikes all over it, it must have been living with the meanest predator of all times. Actually, IF Tyrannosaurus Rex was a predator, it certainly had no reason to fight with plants since predators are usually not so fond of fruits.
( http://takeawaytrends.com/plant.php?plant=Jurassica&id=123 )

If you want to grow naranjilla, one good option for ordering seeds is Rio Guaycuyacu seeds sales:
http://www.ecuadorexplorer.com/guaycuyacu/fruits_1.html
I have ordered seeds from there once or twice, good service though they don't have internet connection at the farm and so the order may take some time. Germination has also been good, only one Passiflora species didn't germinate for me. There's this Naranjilla relative, "Baquicha" on the list, that's very interesting plant, much more ornamental than naranjilla. I didn't get fruits from that one either, but the plant looked great! Would be nice to know the scientific name for that.

Naranjilla is also presented in Dr. Charles B. Heiser Jr's book "The fascinating world of nightshades", with many other interesting Solanaceae plants, so if you get your hands on this book (I don't sell mine) it's worth checking out.

One interesting thing about the naranjilla is, that its spiky and hairy leaves and stalks seem to act as natural flytraps. All the little flies and gnats get trapped to the hairs and spikes and die there. I wonder if this serves any meaning in for the plant?

Small naranjilla seedling has catched some gnats or something like that:

Some naranjilla spikes:


If you want to find a culinary variety, I think Ecuador and Colombia around there are the places to turn to.I have not had a chance to taste, but they tell that the fruit juice is very sour before sugar and water is added, then it makes a nice refreshing drink. Heiser says in his book, that the aroma is lost in canning, I don't know if that problem has yet been solved.

A lot of the Solanaceae are day length sensitive, and wont flower or fruit till day and night hours are approx equal. If your plants are growing well but not producing fruit, could this be a factor in your climate ? You may need to control the light hours in the growing season ?

That's also possible. I don't have the plants anymore (maybe seeds) but if I grow these some time again, I'll try to remember this light aspect. I had similar experience with several Solanaceae plants, that they either didn't flower or if they did, didn't set fruit even if they were supposed to be self-compatible. Summer days are very long here, almost 24hrs of sunlight and winter days almost no light at all.

I don't grow these things novadays since I don't have the greenhouse any more, but maybe in the future...