"Victoria Clare" wrote in message
. 240.10...
Kay Easton wrote in
:

In article ,
Victoria Clare writes
A while ago I posted about a blue-flowered 'melon tree' which I'd seen
advertised - later discovered to be 'pepino dulce', an edible solanum.

Well, I ordered one. Unfortunately the suppliers did not answer the
questions I sent with my order about what variety it was, or where I
could find out more.

I was expecting something tomato-esque, but this is more of a classic
solanum, with dark, faintly shiny leaves with paler ribs.

So you've made me think ...
Tomato is Lycopersicum. Blue is a colour that pops up frequetnly in
Solanum - woody nightshade, aubergine etc.
Are there any Lycopersicum with blue flowers?

Google doesn't seem to know of any: every reference I could find is to
yellow flowers.

Though as tomatoes started off being imported as a poisonous decorative,
and have mutated into all sorts of edible forms ( WHO decided to do
that, and how many stomach aches did they suffer before it worked?), I
bet it would be possible to breed one.

Didn't we have a similar discussion about potato flowers (which do seem
to be more variable than tomato ones)?

The reason I was thinking of Solanum muricatum (pepino dulce) in that
light is that apparently it is sometimes grown as an annual crop.

The one I have seems quite woody and shrublike in its growth pattern,
rather than having the softer green stems of a tomato, potato or a
physalis.

This Solanum muricatum (pepino dulce) is beginning to interest me.
Is it hardy enough to grow outdoors high in Wensleydale?
Are the seeds obtainable?
When and how should it be sown?
How big is the plant?

Franz