Foreign Friday. Volksvreemde Vrydag

Pepino/Boomspanspek (Solanum muricatum) 

After James Wong's Homegrown Revolution bug bit, I couldn't wait to try out foreign-sounding and strange-looking fruit and veg in my own urban garden. My backyard veg patch might be in an South African town, but luckily we have an Oceanic, almost sub-tropical climate with a decent annual rainfall. Perfect conditions for growing most fruit and veg; even the most exotic of exotic edibles.

One of the first exotic fruits I planted was a Pepino. As I referred to in my post about creating beds, I received it from a work friend. She gave me two big plants and a very small one I could split from the mother plant. I was told the plants would adapt quickly, grow fast and sprawl over a big area if not controlled. Immediately after planting them, one plant looked better than the other and the smallest one had only a small chance, I thought. That's before we had a horrible berg wind. After that unfortunate occurrence, the healthy-looking plant died despite my best efforts to save it. In the long run though, the other plant flourished and the small one survived as well.

Pepino/Boomspanspek

Luckily the same lady who so kindly gave me the plants brought a ripe fruit along as well. When it is still unripe the fruit is greenish with light purple stripes. The stripes get darker and the green turns yellow when ripe. Don't expect a delicious rockmelon taste though! It tastes somewhat bland; like a cucumberish wintermelon. Very refreshing though, and much like a cucumber, it tastes like pure summer to me   :-)

Pepino flower and fruit/Boomspanspek blom en vruggie

A Pepino is part of the nightshade family, to which a tomato and potato belongs too. A fact quickly made apparent by the striking similarities between the aforementioned plants' flowers. I am still amazed how quickly my Pepino produced its first small fruit. This after bringing it back from the verge of death just a few short months earlier! I am suitably impressed, and very chuffed! Now I can't wait to get a harvest big enough to try making some Pepino Chutney or sauces yum...

Solanum muricatum fruit/vruggie

Botanical Name: SOLANUM MURICATUM
Common Name: Pepino, Pepino Dulce, Fruit Salad Plant
Volksnaam: Pepino, Boomspanspek
Native to: Peru, Colombia and other neighbouring Andean countries
Date planted/sowed: Planted 12 June 2013 (winter)
Ease to grow: Very easy to grow but needs sufficient water and rich, composted soil
Costs: no input costs
Notes: Produces first fruit within 4 months of planting