Solanum mammosumFox Face

The fruit is the whole point of Solanum mammosumwaxy, bright yellow, and carrying a set of rounded protuberances at the base that give it a face-like profile. It holds on the plant and on the cut stem for weeks, and is grown commercially for exactly that.

The plant itself is a soft-wooded, prickly, short-lived shrub of about a metre, with large velvety lobed leaves and purple star flowers. Every part of it, including the fruit, is poisonous, so it belongs in display and cut-stem production rather than in public bedding.

Specifications

• Height0.6 to 1.5 metres
• Width0.6 to 1.0 metres
• Native toSouth America, and widely naturalised across the tropics
• FoliageLarge, velvety, lobed leaves with prickles along the veins; evergreen in frost-free climates
• Growth rateFast

Conditions

• SoilPrefers fertile, free-draining soils
• LightFull sun
• WaterModerate; needs regular water for fruit size
• ClimateThrives in tropical and subtropical regions; frost sensitive

Additional Features

• FlowersPurple star-shaped flowers through the warm months
• FruitWaxy bright yellow fruit with distinctive basal lobes, long-lasting on the plant and as a cut stem
• UsesCut stem production, seasonal display planting, festival and cultural arrangements
• SpacingPlant 0.8 to 1.0 metres apart in a production block
• Low MaintenanceShort-lived and grown as a seasonal crop; replace rather than maintain
• Pest ResistanceGenerally robust; the prickles and toxins deter browsing
• ToxicityAll parts including the fruit are poisonous if eaten; do not plant where children have access
• Seasonal AppealA long-lasting autumn and winter fruit display used widely in Lunar New Year arrangements

Fox Face is a specialist display and cut-stem crop grown for a fruit that lasts far longer than most.