Solanum aviculare aka New Zealand Nightshade

Solanum aviculare is an evergreen shrub in the nightshade family, Solanaceae. Its common names include kangaroo apple and New Zealand nightshade. Kew lists its native range as eastern Queensland to Victoria, Lord Howe Island, and New Zealand. It grows along forest edges and in coastal scrub. In Queensland, it also grows in disturbed upland rainforest sites.

This fast-growing shrub reaches about 6–8 feet [1.8–2.5 metres] in cultivation. Broader accounts give heights up to 13 feet [4 metres]. It has soft wood and a trunk that becomes woody below. Its branches last for several years, but growth becomes straggly with age. The plant keeps its leaves year-round where winters allow. It is short-lived and may take the form of a small tree.

Flowers appear from July to October in the British growing calendar. Each flower has both male and female organs. Insects pollinate them. Seeds ripen from August to October. The fruit reaches about 0.8 inches [2 centimetres] long. Each fruit holds many flat seeds. Its taste varies between plants and from year to year. Even ripe fruit can taste bitter or too sweet.

Grow this shrub in sun and fertile, moist soil. It accepts sandy, loamy, or clay soils with good drainage. It also tolerates mildly acid through mildly alkaline soil. PFAF lists USDA zones 8–11, but warns of frost damage. Australian garden reports record survival down to about 19°F [−7°C]. In Britain, cold often kills the stems to ground level. A warm wall and autumn mulch can help protect the roots. In mild places, it can remain a shrub outdoors. Elsewhere, gardeners can grow it as an annual. Spring-sown plants may bear fruit in their first year.

Gardeners grow it as an ornamental and, in warm climates, a hedge. Māori have cultivated it for its fruit. Sources describe fully ripe fruit as edible raw or cooked. They suggest waiting until fruit falls and loses some acidity. All green parts and unripe fruit are poisonous. The edible-fruit reports do not make the whole plant safe. The fruit also has uses in cosmetic preparations. Unripe berries supply steroid compounds for the drug industry. This industrial use is distinct from eating the fruit.