Solanum BETACEUM 'YELLOW' - Tamarillo, Tree tomato, Beet cyphomandra, Cyphomandra BETACEA, Tamarillo, Tree Tomato.
Solanum is a large genus of plants in the nightshade family (Solanaceae), including herbs, subshrubs, shrubs, lianas, and small trees. Representatives of the genus are distributed almost worldwide, being particularly diverse in tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas. This genus includes both ornamental and food crops, including potato, eggplant, and tomato.
Plants of the genus vary greatly in appearance, but usually have alternate leaves, five-lobed flowers, and berries or berry-like fruits. Leaves can be entire, lobed, or dissected; flowers are most often white, pinkish, lilac, or purple, with prominent yellow anthers. Fruits in different species differ greatly in size, coloration, taste, and nutritional value.
Tamarillo is a fast-growing evergreen or partially deciduous fruit tree from South America, also known as the tree tomato. In cultivation, it is grown in subtropical and warm temperate regions, especially in New Zealand, South America, and other countries with mild climates. In container culture, the plant is usually shaped as a small tree or large bush.
The trunk and branches of tamarillo are relatively brittle, and the root system is shallow, so the plant tolerates strong winds poorly and needs a sheltered spot. Leaves are large, cordate, softly pubescent, with a noticeable scent when bruised. Flowers are small, white, pinkish, or lavender, gathered in racemes or panicles. Fruits are oval, ovoid, or plum-shaped, red, orange, yellow, or purple, with a firm skin, juicy sweet-and-sour pulp, and numerous small seeds.
In cultivation, tamarillo is valued as a fast-growing fruiting and ornamental plant for greenhouses, winter gardens, warm loggias, and large containers. With good lighting, warmth, nutritious soil, and regular pruning, the plant can begin fruiting early. In indoor conditions, the harvest depends on light, temperature, root volume, pollination, and proper crown shaping.