Solanum ATROPURPUREUM

Solanum ATROPURPUREUM - Purple Devil, Malevolence, Five-Minute Plant.

Solanum is one of the largest genera of flowering plants, comprising more than a thousand species and giving its name to the entire Solanaceae family. Most species originate from the tropics and subtropics, primarily South America.

Among solanums there are perennial herbs, subshrubs, shrubs, and small trees, with erect or climbing stems, armed with thorns in many species. Leaves are entire, dentate, lobed, or dissected, often paired in the upper part of the shoot - a large leaf next to a small one, giving branching an unusual look and making inflorescences appear positioned right in the forks.

The flowers are gathered in cymes, bisexual, with a funnel-shaped or wheel-shaped corolla and fused calyx, mostly white, yellow, or lilac. The fruit is a juicy berry, poisonous in most species. Familiar cultivated solanums include potatoes, eggplants, and tomatoes.

Solanum atropurpureum is a species from tropical South America: it grows in Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, northeastern Argentina, and Colombia. It is a small shrub 1.2 to 1.8 meters (3.9 to 5.9 ft) tall and 90 to 120 cm (35 to 47 in) across, short-lived - living for 3-5 years.

The stems are dark purple and entirely covered with bright purple and green spines about 2 cm (0.8 in) long; identical spines sit on the leaves on both sides. The leaves are ovate, spatulate, 5-10 cm (2-4 in) long in a mature plant. Flowering continues from late spring to mid-summer, flowers range from yellow to white, and after them small orange fruits 1-2 cm (0.4-0.8 in) across are set.

Solanum seeds are small, flat, light-colored, and mature in juicy orange berries. Soaking such small seeds is impractical, so the substrate itself is disinfected: before sowing, it is drenched with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and dried slightly. Scarification and stratification are not required.

Seeds are sown on the surface of sifted leaf soil and covered with a thin layer of coarse sand. The sowing is moistened from a spray bottle with a growth stimulant solution: SUPERthrive, HB-101, Aminozol, Epin, or Zircon, covered with film or placed in a propagator, and germinated in light, but not in direct sun, at a temperature of 20-22 °C (68-72 °F).

Under favorable conditions, the first seedlings appear within 2 weeks, the main germination is completed on days 14-15, while individual seeds may take longer. Sowings are regularly ventilated; waterlogging and drying out are unacceptable. Seedlings are pricked out twice, the second time into individual pots with a mixture of 1 part turf soil, 2 parts humus soil, and 1 part sand, and pinched immediately.

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The plant is light-loving and grows well in bright light; shade is only needed during the hottest midday hours in summer. In shade, leaves are few, and flowering and fruiting are sparse.

In summer, moderate temperature is preferred, ideally not higher than 20 °C (68 °F). Overwintering is cool, 12-14 °C (54-57 °F), with a minimum of 10 °C (50 °F). When wintered warmer than 18 °C (64 °F), leaves yellow and drop, while berries shrivel and fall off.

From April to September, watering is abundant. In winter under cool conditions, watering is infrequent; under warm conditions, moderate. The plant needs regular misting, but it is better to place the pot on a tray with wet pebbles or expanded clay: in overly dry air, the bush is affected by spider mites.

The substrate is composed of 2 parts clay-turf soil, 2 parts humus soil, and 1 part leaf soil with the addition of 1 part sand. Good drainage must be laid at the bottom of the pot.

Fertilizer is applied once every two weeks during the growth period, using a complete fertilizer for flowering plants, and 2-3 granules of superphosphate are sometimes added to the substrate.

Repotting is carried out annually in February. Young plants are pinched and trimmed several times over the summer to encourage branching: working in thick gloves is mandatory.