Description
There’s nothing subtle about bed of nails (Solanum quitoense or S. quitoense var. septentrionale), also known as naranjilla or lulo. Its stout, spiny stems carry large, broad, velvety, green leaves that are lined with large, purple spikes along the main veins. White flowers bloom in clusters close to the stem from summer to frost, developing into fuzzy, round, seedy fruits that start out green and turn orange when mature. Here in my southeastern PA garden, I set plants out in early June, and they can easily reach 4 feet tall by frost. I have read that it can take a year for the plants to produce ripe fruit, but I can usually get some in October from a March sowing, especially if I start cutting off all new flowers and removing all but a half-dozen or so of the developing fruits in August. Bed of nails can also grow well in a container but basically needs the space all to itself, except perhaps for some low, bushy filler or trailing plant around its base. Full sun. Usually grown as an annual (it’s perennial only in frost-free areas). If you allow the ripe fruits to drop in the garden, bed of nails may self-sow.
Harvested in October 2022. At least 12 seeds.
Please read the germination information as well before ordering.
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