Wonderberry

Solanum burbankii a.k.a. Garden Huckleberry, Sunberry

The wonderberry is a small, dark purple fruit closely resembling the highly poisonous nightshade. The ripe fruits taste best when cooked and have a pleasant berry flavour that is perfectly suited for baking in pies and desserts.

Description: A very small shrub, usually growing to only 12-24". The wonderberry shrub can bear fruit at just 3-4" high.

Hardiness: Not frost hardy! Grow as an annual.

Growing Environment: The plants are exceedingly easy to grow and care is similar to the tomato, except that wonderberries tend to be less picky about temperature and water, and generally fruit much faster. They can be grown in full or partial sun outdoors, or in a sunny window. Sow seeds directly in the ground during summer, or start inside in pots. Germination is best when soil temperatures are above 70F. Keep the soil damp and re-pot as needed; wonderberry plants need little attention to flower and fruit.

Propagation: By seed. May fruit in just 2-3 months.

Uses: Cooked and used as a flavouring for various desserts. Beware: the unripe (green) berries are poisonous.

Native Range: The wonderberry is a man-made cross between Solanum villosum and S. guineense, produced in the early 20th century by renowned plant breeder Luther Burbank. It closely resembles the wild garden huckleberry, and adding to the confusion, this common name is often used to describe the wonderberry as well. However, the flavour of the wonderberry is far superior to that of the
garden huckleberry.