Solanum capsicoides aka Cockroach Berry

Solanum capsicoides is in the nightshade family, Solanaceae. The sources do not agree on its native home. Kew's checklist names Kerala, India. Useful Tropical Plants names the coast of Brazil. People now grow it in tropical and subtropical parts of the world. It has also spread from gardens in many places. There, it now grows in the wild on its own. Gardeners grow it for its bright fruit.

This plant lives for one year or a few years. Its stems form many branches and grow woody with age. Sharp prickles cover the stems. They spread out and may climb up through other growth. Plants reach about 1–3.3 feet [0.3–1 metre] tall. Some reach 6.6 feet [2 metres], above the usual range. The account also lists a height of 2.5 feet [0.75 metres]. Its loose shape spreads out, unlike a dense, upright shrub.

Flowers can bloom all year when warmth and other needs suit them. The round fruit may have a somewhat flat shape. It turns orange-red and grows to about one inch across. The fruit gives the plant its main value for show. The species account gives no details on leaves or bark. It does not state this species' flower colour. Nor does it say what brings pollen to its flowers.

This plant grows in warm places with damp air. The air may stay damp or be damp in some seasons. It grows from lowlands to about 4,920 feet [1,500 metres]. Its climate has little or no frost. The account suggests that it prefers sandy ground. Records also place it on wet clay laid down by water. It grows on soils formed from limestone, too. It often grows on open, disturbed ground with little shade. Sites include roadsides, pasture, stream banks, beaches, and land near homes. It can grow in large numbers as a weed. Growers sow seed in nursery trays. They then give each seedling its own pot before planting out.

Food reports clash, so do not assume the fruit is safe. Some describe eating it roasted or cooked in curry. Others call the fruit poisonous. Reports say children eat the soft flesh inside. Those reports do not prove it is safe. Claims that it may poison farm animals remain unproven. Past remedies use prepared fruit for skin problems. They use roots for toothache. Another recorded use burns seeds for smoke to treat nasal sores. These are reports of past uses. They are not proven treatments or safe home remedies.