Solanum aethiopicum "Mini Pumpkin Tree"

Lilypon · August 1, 2009

I purchased one plant of the above at the farmer's market (that one was all they had). I planted it and then wondered after if I needed two for pollination? !?!?

My lonely "Pumpkin on a Stick" (labeled as such here) is now blooming ....... does it have a hope of producing fruit???

TZ-OH6 · August 1, 2009

Odd name, had to look it up. Called Ethiopian eggplant and mock tomato. The picture I found does kinda resemble a flat pumpkin.

Lilypon · August 1, 2009

TZ it really is a cool looking plant........they say the spines aren't dangerous but looking at the leaves covered by them I'm still leary re touching it.

Our local Safeway carried a number of the cut sticks last fall (and charged a fortune for them). They really make a lovely bouquet for Hallowe'en so I'm hoping it self pollinates.

Lilypon · August 9, 2009

Here's the leaf of this very, very different eggplant........

Click for Larger Size

I saw one little pumpkin on it a couple of days ago but today the ground was too wet to see if it took or not.

Lilypon · August 9, 2009

Well I might have a hope of getting a few punkins........if Nasty Jack stays away for awhile.

"It is hardy to zone 10 and is frost tender. It is in flower from July to September, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil."
http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants....um+aethiopicum

PaulF · September 15, 2009

I grew out some of the pumpkin-on-a-stick plants for my wife's flower garden this year and they are pretty neat. A member of the eggplant family but looks like a mini pumpkin or even a tomato and makes a beautiful decorative display. Friends who have seen the large bowl of them on the dining room table remark that "those little plastic pumpkins look real." They are easier to grow than "mini pumpkins" and don't require all the space for the vines.

Lilypon · September 15, 2009

Paul I'm glad to read they did well for you

.......I'm not sure if I'll get ripe ones here or not.

There is a lot of green ones on my plant but whether or not they will turn orange for me is the burning (or is it freezing

) question now.

This week I see a lot of 80s (F) in my forecast and then some cooler days after that (but then we are to warm up again before the chart shows a nasty drop

).

Crossing fingers and toes that they are really wrong there!

gardenfrog · September 23, 2009

One "Pumpkin Tree" variety I grew a couple years ago is the Hmong Ruffled Red Eggplant. The fruit looks like perfect 3" pumpkins that are more on the orangy/red side. In Asia they use it for stir-fry, but is does have a slight bitterness you may need to get used to.

August 1, 2009	#1
Lilypon Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Saskatchewan, Canada Posts: 303	Solanum aethiopicum "Mini Pumpkin Tree" I purchased one plant of the above at the farmer's market (that one was all they had). I planted it and then wondered after if I needed two for pollination? !?!? My lonely "Pumpkin on a Stick" (labeled as such here) is now blooming ....... does it have a hope of producing fruit??? __________________ "At the heart of gardening there is a belief in the miraculous" Mirabel Osler

August 1, 2009	#3
Lilypon Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Saskatchewan, Canada Posts: 303	TZ it really is a cool looking plant........they say the spines aren't dangerous but looking at the leaves covered by them I'm still leary re touching it. Our local Safeway carried a number of the cut sticks last fall (and charged a fortune for them). They really make a lovely bouquet for Hallowe'en so I'm hoping it self pollinates. __________________ "At the heart of gardening there is a belief in the miraculous" Mirabel Osler

August 9, 2009	#4
Lilypon Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Saskatchewan, Canada Posts: 303	Here's the leaf of this very, very different eggplant........ Click for Larger Size I saw one little pumpkin on it a couple of days ago but today the ground was too wet to see if it took or not. __________________ "At the heart of gardening there is a belief in the miraculous" Mirabel Osler

August 9, 2009	#5
Lilypon Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Saskatchewan, Canada Posts: 303	Well I might have a hope of getting a few punkins........if Nasty Jack stays away for awhile. "It is hardy to zone 10 and is frost tender. It is in flower from July to September, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil." http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants....um+aethiopicum __________________ "At the heart of gardening there is a belief in the miraculous" Mirabel Osler

September 15, 2009	#6
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,284	I grew out some of the pumpkin-on-a-stick plants for my wife's flower garden this year and they are pretty neat. A member of the eggplant family but looks like a mini pumpkin or even a tomato and makes a beautiful decorative display. Friends who have seen the large bowl of them on the dining room table remark that "those little plastic pumpkins look real." They are easier to grow than "mini pumpkins" and don't require all the space for the vines. __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.

August 1, 2009	#2
TZ-OH6 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Mid-Ohio Posts: 847	Odd name, had to look it up. Called Ethiopian eggplant and mock tomato. The picture I found does kinda resemble a flat pumpkin.

September 23, 2009	#8
gardenfrog Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Shelbyville, IN Posts: 343	One "Pumpkin Tree" variety I grew a couple years ago is the Hmong Ruffled Red Eggplant. The fruit looks like perfect 3" pumpkins that are more on the orangy/red side. In Asia they use it for stir-fry, but is does have a slight bitterness you may need to get used to.