Tropical tomato tree / tamarillo

Seeds: 50  / Botanical name: Cyphomandra betacea

Pretty summer flowers and tomato-like fruits in winter

The evergreen tree tomato develops only one stem, which grows woody and tree-like, branching out only late and producing large, softly hairy leaves. It grows quickly and can easily reach room height, even in a container. From its lavender-colored, hermaphroditic (self-pollinating) flowers, the tamarillo develops small, egg-shaped red or yellow fruits. The taste of the elongated fruits, which resemble a Roma tomato, is somewhat peculiar and vaguely reminiscent of a tomato. The best fruits are those that are not quite ripe – they have a pleasant sweet-tart flavor. The only botanical relationship to tomatoes is that both belong to the nightshade family (Solanaceae). The flesh can be eaten directly from the skin with a spoon, mixed into fruit salads, or steamed as a vegetable.

originally come from the Andes Mountains of South America, specifically Peru, Chile, and Bolivia.