Solanum quitoense aka Quito Orange

Solanum quitoense is a fruit shrub in the nightshade family. People call it naranjilla, lulo and Quito orange. Kew gives its native range as Costa Rica to Venezuela and Peru. This range includes the Galápagos. It grows in mountain forests. It supplies fruit across Andean South America. Growers raise it in other tropical and subtropical regions too.

This shrub grows fast, with an upright, bushy form. Garden plants reach 5–8 feet [1.5–2.5 metres] tall and wide. Some accounts give heights up to 10 feet [3 metres]. It lives for several years, but its life is short. Its stems can turn woody. RHS says it keeps its leaves year-round. Useful Tropical Plants says it sheds its leaves. The large green leaves have a heart shape. They bear fine hairs and purple veins. Young stems and leaves can have more purple in them. Spines grow on stems and the tops of leaves.

White flowers form when the growing season is long. Their yellow stamens, the pollen-bearing parts, stand out against white petals. The plant can set fruit with its own pollen. Insects also move pollen between its flowers. Fruits turn orange to orange-red, in groups of three or four. They can reach about two inches across. Their juicy flesh tastes sweet and tart. People eat them raw or cook them in sauces and preserves. They also press them for juice and drinks such as lulada. Remove the stinging hairs on the fruit's skin before eating. Fruit may not ripen fully in the UK.

Use rich soil that holds moisture but drains well. RHS lists sun or part shade. Chicago Botanic Garden lists part shade. It accepts clay, loam, sand and chalk across a broad pH range. Choose a site with shelter and good light. It cannot stand frost; RHS rates it H1C. It does not grow well in hot tropical lowlands either. In Britain, plant it outdoors in early summer for its leaves. Keep it under glass through winter, or grow it for one year. Grow new plants from seed. Prune in late summer or early autumn before wintering under greenhouse glass.

Its bold leaves suit tropical-style beds, patios and courtyard gardens. Grow it in pots, greenhouses or conservatories too. Watch for aphids, glasshouse whitefly and glasshouse red spider mite. Honey fungus can occur, though RHS says it is rare. Useful Tropical Plants notes some risk of becoming a weed. It records fruit extracts in skin and hair products. It also reports folk uses of fruit and flowers as medicine. Those reports do not prove these treatments are safe or helpful. The evidence names fruit as food, not other plant parts.