SOLANUM LACINIATUM
PACKET CONTAINS 20 SEEDS
Common name: Kangaroo Apple
Australian native that is endemic to Victoria and Tasmania. Soft wooded shrub that is hardy in most soil types except salt spray. The plant produces two types of foliage one of which resembles kangaroo paws. During spring and summer the plant produces Purple-blue blooms with yellow anthers. An ideal plant for screen planting or understorey wind break or bank erosion.
After flowering produces egg-shaped berries that turn bright orange-yellow when ripe. A great source of food for birds. Berries are eaten fresh, raw or cooked. CAUTION: Fruit is only edible when the fruit is ripe, otherwise they can be poisonous.
In cultivation they are relatively short-lived shrubs, with a life expectancy of 5-6 years in good conditions. Older plants tend to split at the base, which allows wood rot fungi to take hold. Such splitting could be prevented to a large degree by corrective pruning from an early age.
- Hardy perennial
- Frost tolerant
| Method |
Sow Direct (after frost) or Raise Seedlings. Well drained soil media. |
| Sowing Depth | 2cm. Keep Moist |
| When to sow in Australia |
Tropical: Autumn Subtropical: Autumn Temperate: Spring Cool climate: Spring |
| Germination | 14 to 21 Days at 15-21° C |
| Plant Spacing | 50cm |
| Width | 3 Meters |
| Height | 1 - 4 Meters |
| Position | Full Sun. Full sun to part shade |