How to Grow Wonderberries | Complete Growing Guide

Wonderberry (Solanum retroflexum)

A wonderberry plant with a white flower and hairy leaves — “Solanum retroflexum 1DS-II 1-2313” by SAplants is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons

2 sources cited · Verified

Wonderberries (Solanum retroflexum) — Grown as an annual outside the tropics.

Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural sources — see References.

At a Glance

Close-up of a white wonderberry flower with a yellow center and green fruit — “Solanum retroflexum 1DS-II 3-7161” by SAplants is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Solanum retroflexum 1DS-II 3-7161” by SAplants is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Solanum retroflexum Wonderberry Hornworms PESTS

Quick Facts

A wonderberry plant with a white flower and hairy leaves — “Solanum retroflexum 1DS-II 1-2313” by SAplants is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Solanum retroflexum 1DS-II 1-2313” by SAplants is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Factor Value
Soil pH 6 - 7.5
Sunlight 6-8 hours direct sun
Soil texture Light (sandy), medium (loamy) or heavy (clay) (PFAF)
Drainage Fertile, well-drained preferred (PFAF)
Lifecycle Grown as an annual outside the tropics; killed by frost (PFAF; University of Illinois Extension).
Edible parts fruit

Soil & Growing Conditions

A wonderberry plant growing in the wild — “Solanum retroflexum 50D 1964” by SAplants is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Solanum retroflexum 50D 1964” by SAplants is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Water: Prefers moist soil (PFAF)

Soil pH range

6 7.5

Span reflects genuine variation between the cited authorities, not a single agreed figure.

Growth Stages

A wonderberry flower with small fruit forming — “Solanum retroflexum 1DS-II 3-7160” by SAplants is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Solanum retroflexum 1DS-II 3-7160” by SAplants is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Stage BBCH Notes
Sowing and establishment 0 Sow seed under cover/indoors in spring; transplant out only once frost danger has fully passed -- treat much like a tomato (PFAF; University of Illinois Extension).
Vegetative growth 3 Bushy, upright-branching growth; needs full sun and a fertile, well-drained, consistently moist soil (PFAF). Watch closely for tomato hornworm -- a University of Illinois Extension trial found a severe infestation (55 caterpillars hand-collected) on this crop.
Flowering 6 Small white flowers, produced in quantity once established -- one University of Illinois Extension trial plant recovered from pest damage to produce "several hundred" flowers.
Fruiting and harvest 8 Small (about 1cm) dark blue-purple fruits form in clusters (PFAF). Only pick and eat fully ripe (dark) berries -- green, unripe fruit is poisonous (University of Illinois Extension; PFAF).

Harvest & Storage

Ripe dark wonderberries hanging on the plant — “Solanum retroflexum jule” by Max071086 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Solanum retroflexum jule” by Max071086 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

When to pick: Pick only fully ripe, dark blue-purple berries -- green, unripe fruit is poisonous and reactions to it vary by individual (University of Illinois Extension). Ripe fruit is soft and juicy with a mild, bland, slightly sweet flavour; not very appetizing eaten raw, and best used cooked into jelly, jam or pie filling (PFAF; University of Illinois Extension).

Pests

Wonderberry leaves on a stem — “Solanum retroflexum 1DS-II 3-7146” by SAplants is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Solanum retroflexum 1DS-II 3-7146” by SAplants is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Hornworms
high

Manduca spp.

A University of Illinois Extension field trial recorded a severe infestation -- 55 hornworm caterpillars hand-collected from the planting, alongside five-spotted hawk moths (the adult form) -- before the crop recovered…

References

  1. Annual, spring-sown under glass, planted out after last frost. Soil: light/medium/heavy, mildly acid to mildly alkaline, prefers fertile well-drained. Full sun required, prefers moist soil. Fruit about 1cm diameter in small bunches. Edible: fruit only, raw or cooked (improved by cooking); many Solanum members have poisonous leaves and sometimes unripe fruit too. Native to Ethiopia, South Africa, Tanzania and other African countries.

  2. Solanum burbankii (synonym used in this source). Annual in zone 6, cannot tolerate frost; started indoors, transplanted after frost danger passed. Bushy, elevated growth habit, small white flowers. Trial in open garden and high-tunnel raised bed. Real trial finding: severe tomato hornworm infestation (55 hand-collected) plus five-spotted hawk moths present; recovered with more watering/monitoring to produce hundreds of flowers and berry clusters. Toxicity: green berries poisonous, do not pick green, ripe berries safe. Taste: soft, juicy, mild/bland, best as jelly/jam/pie filling. No final verdict reached on community-garden suitability.

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

What soil pH do wonderberries need?

A pH of about 6–7.5. That span reflects genuine variation between the authorities we cite rather than a single agreed figure — the References section lists each source's exact range.

Plan next season before the problems start

This page gives you the thresholds; the planner turns them into your own calendar. It works from what you can observe and measure in your garden rather than from dates written for somebody else’s latitude.

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SoilCommander Editorial Team

Science-based growing guides · Thresholds that hold in any climate

This guide states the conditions the plant itself responds to — soil temperature, frost tolerance, day length — rather than dates, because the same calendar month means opposite seasons in the northern and southern hemispheres. Anything genuinely restricted to one part of the world is named as such rather than presented as universal. Written and maintained by our editorial team against international horticultural research and extension sources.

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Last verified 2026-09-03