Rare and Unusual Solanums 

We are closed for the 2010 Season. Thank you for your business. We'll see you next year.

The Solanum family contains some amazing diversity. The well-known members of the family include tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, tomatilloes, tobacco and potatoes. But there are many lesser-known fruits and plants of interest in this plant family, and we offer a few here.

Rare Solanum plants are $3.00 each (exceptions are noted), plus shipping. All plants are shipped Priority Mail.

Plants are well established in 2½" square pots that are 3½" deep to provide our customers with larger, healthier plants. Because of the diverse plant habits of some of these offerings, smaller plants may be all that are available.  We state this when we send your e-mail shipping confirmation.

Cultural requirements are less well understood for some of these plants, but in general they would be expected to grow under tomato or pepper growing conditions. Many of these intriguing plants should only be grown as novelties. Moreover, seed is quite rare for some of these varieties. Where they are grown successfully, seed should definitely be saved and distributed to other gardeners. It is to this end that we offer these unusual plants.




Ashwagandha  $3.00 Sold Out
(Withania somnifera)  Legendary Ayurvedic herb originating in India. "Somnifera" means literally "sleep bearer" and ashwagandha has been renowned for centuries as a sleep aid, and as an all-around tonic on the order of ginseng, as well as to treat post-partum ailments and a host of others. Plants may reach to nearly 5 feet in height in their native land, where they flower almost year-round. Stems and branches are covered in a fine down, and bear leaves to 4 inches in length. Small green to yellow flowers appear in clusters, then give way to quarter-inch round red fruits, borne in an inflated calyx reminiscent of a miniature tomatillo. It is the roots that carry the reputed medicinal effect. Expect to harvest roots the following spring after overwintering in very mild conditions. For a fascinating study, see http://www.herbalnet.org/SHRUBS/withania_somni.asp

Black Mountain Pink Tomato  $3.00
80 days, Indeterminate, huge fruits to 3 lbs. Very dense flesh is a deep rose color with occasional darker streaks. Flavor is simply outstanding. Originally collected by Austin Isaacs, from the Black Mountain area of Harlan County, Kentucky, and dating back at least to the 1930's. Very rare and unusual.

Datura, Double Purple Queen  New  $3.50
(Datura metel) Lavish display of fully double, trumpet-shaped flowers to 4 inches long and 3 inches in diameter.  The outside of the flower is rich purple, but the interior is pale lavender to white, with just the very edges lined in purple. The petals are pleated and folded, completely filling the interior of the bloom. Viewed from the front, the effect is similar to that of a camellia or an old-fashioned rose. Compelling, jasmine-like fragance comes as a bonus; coupled with the intricately branched plants, makes an altogether unforgettable specimen, especially well suited to container culture on the patio or veranda. Plants quickly reach 3-4 feet in height.

Delaware Sacred Tobacco New  $4.00
(Nicotiana rustica) Tobacco was sacred among most of the native peoples of North America, and each nation had its unique strain. The Delaware-Lenape tribe revered and grew this strain, using it ceremonially according to their customs. This variety is shorter than some strains of N. rustica, making it a bit more presentable in the garden, but otherwise appears very similar, having the usual small, green bell-shaped flowers.

Goji Berry (Chinese Wolfberry)  $4.00
(Lycium barbarum) Perennial shrubs to 9 feet tall, but usually much shorter, and bearing fruit from their second year on. Plants have naturalized in England, having been grown there since the Eighteenth Century, and known there as Duke of Argyll's tea tree. Goji plants appear tolerant of a wide range of soils, so long as these are well drained, prefer full sun for best production, and are somewhat drought-tolerant once established. The plant is said to tolerate temperatures down to -15 degrees F., which should mean they are hardy outdoors to Zone 5. Small lavender flowers appear in June through September, yielding sweet, juicy, small scarlet berries, which look not unlike small wild peppers, a month or two later. The wrinkly dried berries are often marketed as "Tibetan goji berry," which appears to be a misnomer since there is no history of commercial cultivation in the Land of Snows. Most commercial cultivation has been in China, where the fruits are esteemed for reputed health benefits, and now their use is becoming popular in the West as well. The berries and their juice have been touted for their vitamin C and anti-oxidant content, anti-cancer and many other qualities, most of which have not been evaluated by the FDA.

Lenny and Gracie's Yellow Tomato  $3.00 Sold Out
Indeterminate, regular leaf. Large, yellow, ribbed fruit.  An old heirloom variety from the Johnson/Magoffin area of eastern Kentucky. (Seed courtesy of Gary Millwood)   

Litchi Tomato  $3.00 
(Solanum sysimbriifolium)  90 days Also known as Morelle de Balbis. An intriguing eggplant relative. One-inch fruits are a cheerful clear scarlet in color and are enclosed in a prickly husk until fully ripe. At that time the husks obligingly split open and the sweet fruit comes away from the stem surprisingly easily. Thorny plants are ornamental in a gritty sort of way, reaching 4-5 feet in our conditions. White flowers are fairly showy.

Lutescent Red Tomato  $3.00 New Sold Out
80 days - Indeterminate. (Originally known as Honor Bright) Grown for its historical value and its novelty, whci has yet to fade even after so many decades. According to the 1958 Gleckler's Seed Catalog: "A new and very rare tomato of unusual oddity. Plants look normal until fruit begins to set. Mysteriously from there on the lower leaves turn yellow but remain alive and healthy. The calyx, many times of monstrous size, together with the fruit, turns yellow. It appears a though the plant were about to produce yellow tomatoes, but lo and behold on complete ripeness the fruit turns red. The combination of green and yellow leaves presents a beautiful sight as the yellowing proceeds upward from the base, eventually enveloping most of the plant at extreme maturity. Globular medium size fruits of mild flavor. Having no commercial value, this strain is merely ornamental."

Naranjilla  $4.00
(Solanum quitoense)  Produces delicious, yellow, 2-inch fruits, used in South America for tropical-tasting juice. It's a slow grower; the plants we send will be small, and we doubt that they will yield this summer. Outside of the deep South, it's probably best regarded as an attractive greenhouse or conservatory plant

Negro Azteca Purple Tomato  $3.00 New
80 days - Indeterminate The name means Black Aztec. Flavor is sweet and complex with almost wine-like overtones. Similar to all apearences to Black Cherry but with a different history, having reputedly been grown by the Aztecs of central Mexico. We believe we are the only online commercial source of this exceedingly rare variety.

Nicotiana Aztec Sweet Scent  $3.50
(Nicotiana alata) Robust tobacco type plants grow a rosette of velvety leaves to 18" in diameter, and throw 3 foot long flower spike that blooms over a very long season. The captivating white flowers are exquisite and permeate the garden with an intoxicating fragrance, especially at dusk. Full sun, average soil and moisture.

Nicotiana Isleta Pueblo Tobacco  $3.00
(Nicotiana rustica) Cultivated for centuries by the Indians of Isleta Pueblo, New Mexico. The plants get to 3 feet in our garden, counting the elegant long spike of small, chaste, green bell-shaped flowers. Self-sows happily, but not agressive in our experience. Among Native Americans, tobacco was reserved for ceremonial use, and  this one certainly produces a potent smoke. Use it respectfully in your kinnickinnick!

Nicotiana langsdorfii   $3.50
Half-hardy ornamental tobacco reaching three to four feet in height. Open, airy infloescences of nodding, tubular chartreuse flowers attractive to hummingbirds and to gardeners, with their sapphire blue stamens inviting close inspection. Blooms from mid-summer until autumn, may self-sow in favored locations. Prefers full sun, tolerates some shade, especially in hot-summer areas.

Nicotiana Zapotec Ceremonial Tobacco New  $4.00
(Nicotiana sp) This is a quite different species altogether; we're not satisfied as to which one, but it's too beautiful to ignore. Very tall--topping 6 feet in our trial. Large pointed slightly furry leaves, and a central spike of small flowers, but in pink to red. Makes a bold statement in the border, lending a tropical touch.

Pepino Melon  New $3.50
(Solanum muricatum) Fruit resembling a melon in appearance and taste, although the size and shape are about the same as those of a very large egg. The plant originated in South America, and is grown commercially in that region, as well as in New Zealand. It was used even in ancient times and is portrayed in ancient Andean pottery. A tender perennial, it should do well outdoors in the US in Zones 8-9, possibly northward with protection,  or as a container plant wintered indoors anywhere.  Fascinating plants eventually reach 6 feet tall, resembling gigantic pepper plants, and begin to yield fruit about 3-4 months after we ship them, when well grown.

Red Rocoto Hot Pepper  New  $4.00
(Capsicum pubescens) A little known Peruvian pepper species that has been cultivated for millenia, and is distinct from the species that give up our usual culinary peppers. Rocoto types are furry-leaved (the leaves resemble eggplant leaves) but the growth habit is open like a pepper. The fruits are pungent, but with their own unique flavor. This plant is very long season, yet prefers coolish summers; will yield the first year but is best when container-grown and overwintered in frost-free conditions, at least in most of the US. Fruits are a curious blunt bell shape, about an inch across, and contain large black seeds. For much more on this fascinating species, and other peppers as well, visit rocoto.com

Salpiglossis Late May ship dates only
(Salpiglossis sinuata) Also known as Painted Tongue.  Flowers come in a stunning range of colors, including mahogany-red, yellow, purple and pink and cream.  Often with veins or splotches of contrasting colors.  Flowers are 2 to 2 1/2 inches wide. Plants grow to 2 feet tall.  This Chilean native  was introduced in the early 19th century. A venerable garden favorite.  Tender annual.  Blooms best before intense summer heat,  may bloom all summer in cooler summer conditions.

Tennessee Britches Pink Tomato  $3.00
Indeterminate, potato leaf. One pound-plus with good taste. Occasionally reaches 3 pounds! (Seed courtesy of Gary Millwood.)

Vining Petunia  $3.50
Old fashioned single bloom petunia that was popular in gardens for many years. Blooms are a mixture of colors, with shades of pinks, whites, lavenders and purple.  Trailing vines can grow 2 to 3 feet long; pinching induces a more compact habit. Self-seeding annual.  Intense fragrance almost unknown among modern hybrids.

 



Yoder's German Yellow Tomato $3.00
80-90 days. Indeterminate.  From  Mrs. Yoder, an Amish woman whose family grew this tomato for over 50 years in Tennessee and Kentucky.  This regular leafed variety produces large yellow/pale orange beefsteak type fruit.  Fairly crack resistant and can grow as large as 1 pound.  Good flavor.