Description

Tamarillo dwarf
Solanum abutiloïdes

Tropical shrub. Small, fluffy orange fruit, 2 cm in diameter. Exotic, sweet and slightly bitter flavor. For eating fresh or making marmalade. Produces a little the first year with early sowing. Plant of 1.50 to 2 meters in height and 1 meter in width. Doesn’t need staking. Very fragrant foliage. Does not withstand frost. Plants can be potted and stored in a cold room over winter. Prune the plants (60-90 cm high) to make it easier to do. Return to light and warm conditions (18-25°C) in March-April. From the 2nd year onwards, production starts earlier and is much more abundant. Native to South America.

Unripe green fruit is poisonous. Only eat ripe fruit.

Full sun, well drained and rich soil. Sow indoors 14 to 22 weeks before last frost. 4 mm deep. 80 cm between plants. Slow, irregular germination in 12 to 25 days at ±30ºC.

Germination: 70% in January 2026
Ecological seeds produced at Catherine’s Ornamental Garden.

Note
I’ve made the best marmalade in the world with this fruit! Everywhere it’s written that the flavor is reminiscent of tomato and pineapple, passion fruit and peach… I detect an intense taste of bitter orange, similar to the flavor of Grand Marnier.

If you make any interesting recipes with this fruit, we’d love to hear from you. Please write a review.