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Solanum chrysotrichum

giant devil's-fig

Solanaceae

Mexico and Central America (naturalized in Australia)

Attracts Pollinators

Native to North America

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterMedium

HardinessZones 10–11

Overview

Solanum chrysotrichum is an evergreen, prickly shrub to small tree growing 6-13 feet (2-4 m) tall, with stout, sparsely branched stems armed with straight yellowish prickles. Young stems, leaf stalks, and undersides are coated with dense golden-brown star-shaped hairs. The leaves are large, 6-14 inches (15-35 cm) long, broadly oval with shallow lobes, dull green above and felted below, and bear scattered prickles along the midrib. White to pale violet star-shaped flowers about 0.8-1.2 inches (2-3 cm) across, with five petals and yellow central anthers, open in branched clusters through much of the year. The fruit is a rounded berry 0.4-0.6 inch (10-15 mm) across, ripening yellow to orange, containing many flat seeds. Growth is fast in warm, moist conditions, and the plant can form dense prickly thickets on cleared and disturbed land. All parts, including the unripe berries, contain solanine-type alkaloids and are toxic if eaten.

Native Range

Native to Mexico and Central America, where it grows in disturbed ground, forest clearings, and along roadsides in warm, humid country. Naturalized in eastern Australia and other warm regions, where it colonizes pastures, creek banks, and cleared rainforest.

Suggested Uses

Rarely planted by choice and treated mainly as a weed in warm regions. In its native range the leaves and roots have a history of folk medicinal use. The prickly habit and weedy spread make it unsuited to garden cultivation in areas where it has naturalized.

How to Identify

Recognized by stout stems with straight yellowish prickles, large lobed leaves 6-14 inches (15-35 cm) long coated with golden-brown star-shaped hairs below, and white to pale violet star-shaped flowers with yellow anthers. The dense golden hairs and large prickly leaves separate it from smaller weedy Solanum spp. species. Rounded yellow-orange berries 0.4-0.6 inch (10-15 mm) across follow the flowers.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height6' - 13'

Width/Spread5' - 10'

Reaches mature size in approximately 2 years

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~20 weeks

Spring Summer Fall

Flowers through much of the year in warm climates, with peak bloom in spring and summer. Flower clusters open over many weeks, so flowers and ripening fruit are often present together. Flowering slows during cool or dry periods.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

white to pale violet

Foliage Description

dull green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 5-9 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.5 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam clay sand

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

tender

Time to Maturity

1-2 years

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grows in full sun to part shade on moist, fertile soils and grows fast where warmth and water are steady. It tolerates a range of soils but is damaged by frost, which cuts back soft growth. The species seeds freely and spreads from bird-dispersed berries, and it is treated as an environmental weed in parts of Australia. All parts contain solanine-type alkaloids and are toxic to people and livestock if eaten. The prickly stems and rapid regrowth make the plant hard to remove once established.

Pruning

Cut back hard to control size or to remove the plant; stout stems resprout from the base unless the rootstock is removed. The prickly stems and irritating hairs complicate handling. Removing fruit before it ripens limits spread by birds.