How to Grow Naranjilla USA | Planting & Establishment

Growth Stages

Stage	BBCH	Notes
Sowing and establishment	0	Propagate by seed (RHS). Plant outside only in early summer, once frost risk has fully passed.
Vegetative growth	3	Grow in full sun or partial shade, sheltered, in moist well-drained soil. Large, purple-veined, spiny, hairy leaves develop rapidly (RHS).
Flowering	6	White flowers appear given a long enough growing season (RHS).
Fruiting	8	Fruit ripens to orange with green flesh, used mainly for juice; UK-grown fruit may not fully ripen (RHS; Purdue NewCROP).

Quick Facts

Factor	Value
Sunlight	4-8 hours direct sun
Minimum survivable temp	-2C
Soil texture	Clay, loam, sand or chalk (RHS)
Drainage	Moist but well-drained (RHS)
Lifecycle	Tender, fast-growing shrubby perennial, nearly 2m tall (Purdue NewCROP)
Edible parts	fruit

At a Glance

Harvest & Storage

When to pick: Fruit matures to orange, 4.5-5.5cm diameter, with green flesh inside used mainly for juice (Purdue NewCROP). In the UK, needs a long growing season and may not fully ripen at all (RHS).

Diseases

Honey fungus

low

Armillaria spp.

RHS notes honey fungus rarely affects this crop.

Pests

Root-knot nematodes

moderate

Meloidogyne spp.

Purdue NewCROP names root-knot nematodes as a particularly serious pest of this crop.

Aphids

low

Aphididae (various spp.)

Named directly on RHS's own growing-guide page.

Glasshouse whitefly

low

Trialeurodes vaporariorum

Named directly on RHS's own growing-guide page.

Glasshouse red spider mite (two-spotted spider mite)

low

Tetranychus urticae

Named directly on RHS's own growing-guide page.

Naranjilla Photo Gallery

Naranjilla shrub

A naranjilla shrub with its characteristic purple-veined, spiny leaves.

Naranjilla flower

A naranjilla flower with white petals and a purple-tinged, hairy calyx.

Purple-veined leaf detail

A large naranjilla leaf showing its distinctive purple veins and spines.

Naranjilla grown in a field row

Naranjilla plants grown in a field row.

Immature naranjilla fruit

Small green, immature naranjilla fruit still developing on the plant.

Hairy leaf detail

Close detail of a hairy naranjilla leaf with purple veining.

Flower macro detail

Macro detail of a white naranjilla flower.

Flower cluster on a spiny stem

A naranjilla flower cluster growing from a spiny stem.

Young purple-tinged leaf

A young naranjilla leaf shoot with purple colouring.

References

1. Purdue University NewCROP (Center for New Crops & Plant Products) - The Naranjilla, Cocona and Their Hybrid

   Native to and principally cultivated in Colombia and Ecuador, thriving at altitudes of 1000-1500m; also established in Panama, Costa Rica and Guatemala, though commercial attempts in Florida were unsuccessful. Shrubby perennial nearly 2m tall, large purple-veined leaves, white flowers. Fruit matures orange, 4.5-5.5cm diameter, green flesh inside; juice is the primary use, rich in vitamins A and C. Subject to numerous diseases and pests; root-knot nematodes are a particularly serious problem -- resistance has been identified in related Solanum species but is not widely used commercially.

2. Royal Horticultural Society - Solanum quitoense (F) naranjilla

   Clay, loam, sand or chalk, moist but well-drained, neutral/acid/alkaline. Full sun or partial shade, south/west/east-facing, sheltered. Hardiness H1C (5-10C min, outdoors in summer only). Height/spread 1.5-2.5m, 2-5 years to maturity. Propagate by seed. Large green leaves with fine hairs and purple-veined colouring, spines on upper leaf surface and stems. White flowers followed by orange fruit, given a long growing season. Fruit covered in tiny hairs, may not fully ripen in UK conditions. Pests: glasshouse whitefly, aphids, glasshouse red spider mite. Diseases: honey fungus (rarely). Native to Central America and northwest South America. Family Solanaceae.

2 independent sources are cited for this crop. Where they disagree - soil pH is the clearest case - every figure is preserved rather than averaged into false precision.