Re: [CH] Please drop GMO; new question on cocona
Brent Thompson (brent@hplbct.hpl.hp.com)
Fri, 03 Mar 2000 14:10:10 -0800
> This year I've planted them but don't know what I'll get.
Cocona (Solanum sessiliflorum) plants are quite similar to naranjilla
(Solanum quitoense), except no thorns. That is, they have very large,
soft, downy leaves (up to 2-3+ feet long by 1+ foot wide). It would be
fair to say the plant is "about the same size as a tomato plant" (plenty of
room for variation here, huh?). (Actually, you could even generally say
cocona is similar to tomato, horticulture-wise.) Cocona is from the humid
tropics and they DO NOT LIKE low humidity -- even the moderate humidities
of San Francisco bay area summertime weather is too low for them and they
do not thrive here outdoors. They are more sensitive to cold, and frost,
than tomatoes, so how long yours live will mostly depend on when they first
get too cold.
Fruits are firm and tart, unlike naranjilla in both these regards. I have
read that substitution of cocona for apple makes "the best pie you ever
tasted".
Good luck.
If you get fruits, please save the seeds -- they are very hard to find.
--- Brent