Sunberry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sunberry |
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| Flowers and unripe fruit of Solanum retroflexum | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Solanum
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| Species: |
retroflexum
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| Synonyms | |
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Solanum × burbankii |
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Solanum retroflexum, often called wonderberry or sunberry, is a special type of plant that grows fruit. It's known as an heirloom plant, which means it's an old variety that has been passed down through generations. In some places, it's also called umsobo in isiZulu.
Sometimes, the names wonderberry or sunberry are also used for a different plant called European black nightshade (Solanum nigrum). It's important to know the difference between them. Another plant, S. scabrum, is sometimes called garden huckleberry, but that's a different plant too.
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What is the Wonderberry Plant?
The wonderberry plant is a small, bushy plant. It usually grows to be about 30 to 60 centimeters (12 to 24 inches) tall. Even very small plants, as tiny as 10 centimeters (4 inches), can start to grow fruit.
What Do Wonderberries Look Like?
The plant produces small, round fruits that are a dark blue-purple color. When they are ripe, these fruits are safe to eat. They have a mild flavor, so people often add sugar to them when making desserts.
Important Safety Tip
It's very important to know that green (unripe) fruits may be poisonous. Always make sure the berries are fully ripe and dark blue-purple before eating them.
Growing Wonderberries
Wonderberry plants are very easy to grow, much like tomatoes. You can plant their seeds in the summer. They like to grow in a spot where they get lots of sun or at least some sun.
After you plant the seeds, you can usually expect to see fruit in about 75 days. This makes them a fun and rewarding plant to grow in a garden!
