Solanum muricatum (Melon Pear Plant)

Looking for an exciting new edible to grow in your greenhouse or polytunnel this year? Why not try Solanum muricatum, or Melon Pear Plant. It looks like a melon and tastes like a melon, but it’s actually from the tomato family!A half hardy perennial shrub from South America, it can be grown as an annual in the UK. Solanum muricatum forms a bushy shrub clothed in evergreen, lanceolate leaves and bears purple and white flowers similar to an aubergine. These develop into fist-sized, egg-shaped fruits that mature from green-tan to yellow-orange slashed with purplish stripes. The fruits can be harvested from late summer to late autumn and should be picked immediately once ripe. Beneath the inedible skin, lies soft, sweet, yellow flesh ripe that is variously described as a cross between a honeydew melon and a pear with cucumber aromas! Eat the ripe fruits raw as a dessert or preserve them. Fruits can be stored at room temperature for a couple of weeks but will rapidly deteriorate in quality if placed in a fridge.The fruits of Melon Pear Plant require a long season to ripen and should never be eaten before they are mature. They are best grown in a warm greenhouse or polytunnel, protected from frost, where they should be ready to harvest around September to October. Height and spread: 1m (39in).Please note: Unripe melon pears are poisonous and can cause stomach cramps and nausea due to their high solanine content.