Solanum pimpinellifolium aka Currant Tomato

Solanum pimpinellifolium is known as the currant tomato. It belongs to the Solanaceae family. It once had the name Lycopersicon pimpinellifolium. Kew lists its home range as Ecuador to northern Chile. Kew includes the Galápagos Islands in that range. Useful Tropical Plants is less sure where it came from. It says people brought it to the Galápagos as a crop. The plant grows in tropical and subtropical climates. It is not native to Britain or Ireland.

In gardens, plants reach about 3.3 feet (1 metre) tall. They spread about 1.6 feet (0.5 metres) wide. Useful Tropical Plants also gives heights of 9.8 feet (3 metres). The thin branches grow upright at first. They then trail or lie along the ground. Sources call it an annual or biennial. These terms mean it lives for one or two years. Kew calls its growth form a climbing shrub instead. In Britain, gardeners sow it in spring as an annual. They grow it in garden beds for its small fruits.

Plants For A Future gives June through September as flowering months. Each flower has both male and female organs. Insects help the flowers set seed by moving pollen. The plant can also use its own pollen. The seeds ripen from August through October. The round fruits turn red and form large clusters. Each fruit measures about 0.4–0.6 inches across. The fruits taste sweet and suit sweet and savoury dishes. People eat them fresh, cook them, or dry them. The clusters are large, but picking these small fruits takes time.

Grow this tomato in full sun and rich soil. The soil must stay moist but drain well. The plant cannot grow in shade. It accepts sand, loam, and clay soils with good drainage. Soil can be mildly acid, neutral, or mildly alkaline. Frost harms the plant, so grow it seasonally in cold regions. In Britain, sow seeds under glass in early spring. Move plants outside once the last expected frost has passed. Cool, wet summers can cut the crop. Plants For A Future lists USDA zones 8–11. Its seed notes flag tomato mosaic virus on seed coats.

All green parts are poisonous, though the fruit is food. Seeds yield oil that people can eat. Getting that oil takes large amounts of seed. People also use the oil to make soap. Sources note old folk remedies, but these do not prove treatments safe. Useful Tropical Plants reports spread into disturbed ground in the Galápagos. It also notes fears that it may cross with native nightshade relatives.