Soanum capsicoides (Devils apple)

Kath says...
If you have any tobacco bush growing on your place you can do the same with this, for the standard weeping egg plant. Both the tobacco bush and the Devil's Apple are environmental weeds.
http://www.esc.nsw.gov.au/site/Weeds/Sheets/trees/T%20Wild%20tobacco%20bush.htm

Phil says...
They are growing by the roadside everywhere up here although the fruit/seeds aren't ripe yet. Give them a few month and you can have as many as you like.

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1

Phil says...
No, don't eat this one. Only use it as a rootstock if you want to live to see your eggplant bear fruit.

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1

Ruth says...
Hi Ellen, do you mean you had a devils apple tree growing at your place? do you have any seedlings? and do you live in Smithfield NSW? if this is correct, can you direct me to where I can find one of this trees, seedling, or just seed. thank you

Phil says...
The kangaroo apple is also a large shrub, I don't know if it has been used as a rootstock though. You can tell it apart as the leaves are shaped just like a kangaroo's footprint if you hold it against the palm of your hand. The bush tomato is also a semi-arid plant indigenous to Australia, and a member of the solanaceae family

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1

Myllika says...
Hi Phil yes that is the one I have growing it pops up all over my yard and is very profilic and lush looking, I'm talking about the kangaroo apple quiet a large shrub, I might have a go at it the same as Ruth and see what happens

Myllika says...
great Phil that realy makes me want to experiment with the kangaroo apple graft I may have second thoughts or at least try and find more information on it

Ruth says...
Hi Phil, do you know if the fruits of an eggplant grafted on a kangaroo apple rootstock will also carry the abortive property of the kangaroo apple. I am concerned about it as my daughters are vegetarians and both love eggplants and I wouldn't like to feed them something that may be abortive.I bought a tamarillo tree and I may try on that but it may not be as hardy as a native.

Myllika says...
Hi Ruth,

I have it on good authority from horticultural trained woman that the kangaroo apple will not be harmful or toxic to the eggplant as you are only using it as a root stock - so it is perfectly harmless and ok to use . I am going to give it a go.
Cheers Myllika

paul says...
i have devils apple for sale the berrys are just rippening now if you interested

Kim says...
Hi Paul I do realise that its been a while since your post, but I have recently had surgery for a melanoma (BCC) and have been reading about the medicinal properties of the devils Apple I am looking to buy either some fruit or a plant. You may contact me 0404733191

Jantina says...
Gus, we have the plant that Phil has pictured on 8/11/09. Is that the one you want? if so I can send you seeds (ripe fruit at the moment) cuttings or a seedling.

Gus says...
Hi Jantina

Thanks for your reply

Does the plant look anything like this?

I was hoping to graft eggplants onto it. I have tried growing cockroach berry from seed but cant get anything to sprout.

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1

snottiegobble says...
There is an old wives tale, about Kangaroo Apples & its this:- If you feed a clucky chook some K A fruit she will hatch predominately pullets against roosters!
Well I tried it once with a Silkie hen
Result 15 pullets
3 roosters
Now is that sheer luck or what??
BTW they were all her own eggs!!

Jantina says...
No Gus mine is the same as the one Phil has pictured on the 8/11/2009

Hey snottie, now that's something worth trying. Unfortunately I usually only know one of them has gone broody when they reappear with family in tow (they free range in several acres with lots of bushes and bracken!)

Phil@Tyalgum says...
@ Gus - yes they do get pretty woody with age, some around here are fifteen feet tall and as much across

snottiegobble says...
Jantina, yes it must be hormonal. I think the original article was in Grass Roots Mag. many moons ago!

Phil@Tyalgum says...
I had initially tried S. mauritianum (wild tobacco) without much success, but it is a quicker growing plant so thought it might be useful but for some reason the grafts didn't take.. I think that S. chrysotrichum is more closely related to eggplants and the like so even though my plants are still small I think I'll persevere with this species. I plan to wait until they are four or five feet tall before I graft, so might be a little way off yet.

VF says...
Gus, Giant Devil's Fig is very thorny- the thorns are like those on a rose but much larger and tightly packed together. The plant is also a very fast grower, and the seeds seem to remain viable in the ground for some time - we've been trying to eradicate it for over 2 yrs, and seedlings are still popping up. I'd be wary of using it. As above, the original plants were about 4m tall.

Gus says...
Interesting info.
I find that eggplant article missing a little bit of information at time. It sounds that even the authorities have trouble defining the different species. It is not easy to find direct information about grafting eggplant on to solanum other than this article I found
http://deepgreenpermaculture.com/diy-instructions/grafting-eggplant-onto-devil-plant/

I thought this is what the solanum Cap looks like? It looked a nice sturdy tree to act as a rootstock, but I have no luck getting the seeds to sprout anyway. I haven't had any luck getting the torvums to sprout either but I may try again with them. Have any of you seen a torvum growing? Do they look more suitable as rootstock?

Gus says...
Thanks Trikus for your info.
You really know your solanums. They are a difficult group with a lot of confusion.
I think I will be after the Devils fig then.
Sounds kind of biblical doesn't it.

gus says...
John, if you have any s.mauritianum cuttings or seeds I would love to buy some from you.

gus says...
I don't know if it is around here or not but I am sure they are probably being used as rootstock all over the city. I just can't seem to find any!
I assume if they are kept strictly to pots and grafted before fruiting they probably aren't a great threat?

amanda says...
These ones grow up here Gus..they are pretty hard to distinguish from the edible bush tomatoe - so I don't know which is what - but I can try and collect some seed for you?

I also have real tobacco seeds (shh) if u want some - what is "wild tobaco"...? (pic needed) as there is a weedy wild tobacco plant up here too...

gus says...
Hi Amanda,
I have put a picture of wild tobacco in....I think.

Have you tried growing your tobacco seeds?

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1

John Mc says...
gus's pic above is wild tobacco. Smoking tobacco, S. Nicotinium or something along those lines has larger lighter green leaves. I haven't heard of anyone using S. Nicotinium for rootstocks.
I'd try and source S Mauritianum or S. Torvum (pea eggplant)from over there for rootstock purposes..

John Mc says...
Thanks for the spelling check jakfruitetiquette, my tobbaco plant, S. Nicotiana have pink flowers, same usual brown pods. I don't know if the colour of the flowers differentiates cultivars or not? I've read that the Virginian CV has the pink flowers, other may have as well, I'm not sure on that one. Further research will tell.

trikus says...
! I do not remember posting in this thread , may have made a comment on another one about Ron Berry grafting onto the weed sp. that grows all over the place up here . Seems there are several very similar looking spp. and if some are toxic care needs to be taken .

gus says...
I wonder what yours are Amanda?

amanda says...
Hi gus, this is the solaneum...it's spikes are not very nice. Have no idea which type it is - I would ant an indigenous person to help me!? :)

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1	Picture: 2	Picture: 3
Picture: 4

gus says...
Interesting pics Amanda

Does anyone know what they are?
Pic 4 Looks a little like the kangaroo berry but the otheres don't even really look like solanum

jakfruitetiquette says...
The tobacco is Nicotiana glauca, not Aus native. Ethnobotanically, it contains anabasine,not nicotine, so supposedly less toxic.
The Solanum, looks like S.lasiophyllum"flannel bush", but I would check in case there are very similar relatives??

gus says...
Nice work jakfruitetiquette

How you can identify these things I will never know.

gus says...
Have any of you guys had luck in grafting eggplant, tomatoes or chilllis?

I am about to give it a crack and would love to hear anyones success stories (or failures) if any.

gabs says...
I'm going to look for the solanum "devil" plant in Adelaide and try and give grafting a go.

gabs says...
My grandpa showed me that he's got it. It's very spikey, and he's grafted eggplants in a few spots. He's going to give me one, so I'm going to try transplanting it, and then will give grafting a go...fingers crossed.

kazurina says...
A one off post as trying to find poison ratios for the Giant Devils Fig. Bad bad weed. It has come to northern nsw. And i note one person said this and the tobbacco tree are noxious weeds and take care. They should be totally destroyed. (The Giant Devils Fig, fast growing, tall, single trunk, totally thorn covered, giant leaved plant i see one photo of in this site, has red medium size tomato looking fruit filled with seed). I read a year ago a plant was noted for the first time in Terrania creek forrest 18 months before. As the crow flies id be about 15km away. I first saw this plant under the small mango orchard, close to a cabin i rent on a cattle farm, about 18mths ago. Birds and fruit bats also feast on a large native fruit bearing tree in the cattle race hear. Ok this regions weather is the best in the country for weeds to easily get out of contol but a recent scan count added to about FOUR HUNDRED closely compact seedlings in the cattle race alone. Currently not quite that density under the mangos. This plant has rendered tracts of agricultural land inaccesible in sections of asia somewhere. Possibly in poor areas where poison is not financially possible. I hope passionate gardners will think and research a little deeper than the novelty of a trendy plant, however it is accessed, to have or play with.

peppergrafter says...
Not sure what happened to my previous comment that only half was sent. Anyway, so the question is, how tall/large/thick (stem) will they be in 2 months, 3 months etc.? Or how fast do they grow compared to tomatoes/peppers? Thanks!!

jakfruit etiquette says...
Weeds are a complex issue, the worst are the rare types that can invade intact ecosystems, but many are opportunistic on disturbed areas, roadsides, nutrient and water runoff, which is the real problem.
re Solanum capsicoides I dont recall it being a very large plant, so no more vigorous than eggplant + capsicum, wondering if it is such a great rootstock choice? Pea eggplant is maybe better ?

Chris says...
Would I be correct in saying Cannabis sativa is a weed at your place, Sternus?

MIke T1 says...
Hoeing the garden for weeds is a different activity in your neck of the woods Sternus.

MIke T1 says...
Those wild oats can be a bitter harvest Sternus and maybe the weeds lead to the hoeing.

Auzzie says...
Succeeded with grafting 2 eggplants onto a cockroachberry as per photos

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1

Auzzie says...
I was surprised and had not expected this. I have only seen it on YouTube and this is my 3th attempt. Yes a cleft graft and about 8 cms scion making sure that it has more then one eye,the scion is smaller then the host and I lined up one side only. Herewith another photo of the first one to take, it is now 25 cms long and has two set of flowers coming on, very exited

take care

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1

phil@tyalgum says...
I noticed there are seeds on eBay at the moment for Solanum capsicoides, the Cockroach berry

Auzzie says...
a better picture

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1

Auzzie says...
I posted a photo on December 30th, showing as small eggplant scion grafted onto a Solanum capsicoides. These photos are updates of the same graft - I received the eggplant cuttings from a local grower, I hand pollinate and it looks like I may have 4 eggplants forming.

Auzzie says...
Wow Mark that is amazing, my plant is in a pot as well, did you trim the plant back in winter or just leave it?

thank you

Gerry

Auzzie says...
Has anyone had experience grafting a Tomato - Solanum lycopersicum ? I will make that my next project

Otto says...
Hi Auzzie,
I know the post is almost a year but do you still have seeds of Devil Plant Solanum?

I live in Ryde maybe I can come to pick up instead of mailing

Cheers

Viktor says...
Hi guys,

I'm in need for some Solanum Capsicoides seeds, as I've recently setup a place to grow some eggplants and tomatoes, and prefer it to be grafted. I'm happy to pay for the seeds. Any help will be appreciated.

Cheers,
Viktor

Viktor says...
Hi Auzzie,

That would be great. Let me know when will be the best time and day to come and pick it up.

Regards,
Vik

Auzzie says...
0407088001 give me a ring

Corry Garam says...
Hi Auzzie, If you are willing to sell cuttings of Solanum Capsicoides, let me know. Phone 04191 48001. Leave message if I don't answer and I will get back to you ASAP. Cheers, Corry

Corry Garam says...
Thank you so much Harry. It's great to know that they are readily available. I have also made great contacts thr;ough this site. Thanks to all. I will jpost photos once we get set up and running. Cheeers, Corry

nko771 says...
u can ask any greek or italian gardeners

WA has strict quarantine laws so it might be hard for that

u can also use Kangaroo apple for grafting

coolbreeze says...
Hey All,

Markmelb - Dunno if you're still around the forum but... Great looking eggplant trees you have there. The best I've seen amongst Australian growers. Are they still alive at this time?
How did your next project get along? You mentioned multi-grafting a tamarillo in your front yard. Would love an update if you ended up going ahead with it. Sorry, this is going back a wee bit as I am referring to an earlier post in February 2016.

Have read most threads about grafting eggplant trees on this site and it seems there has been more failures and giving up than there has been successes. Which is a bummer!

Is there anyone else out there with successful eggplant trees? Would love to hear your experiences and ask many questions about the matter.

coolbreeze says...
Hi Markmelb,
I'm kind of shocked to hear that the eggplant dies back every winter. I thought the whole purpose of making an eggplant tree was so that you would enjoy the plant long term. Is there benefits from re-grafting every year versus just growing eggplants normally?
I also have a grafted plant successfully growing at the moment. My very first one and like you, I used a wedge graft and also covered with a plastic bag. However, I didn't wrap the entire scion. Only wrapped the actual grafting point. I guess as long as the cambiums sits flush together and is tightly wrapped - it'll most likely work. Even with minor differences.
Still feeling bummed hearing they die back every winter though. What are the chances of them surviving the winter and living longer up here in Brissy?

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1