Wonderberry seeds

Small, dark purple fruit closely resembling the highly poisonous nightshade. The ripe fruits don’t taste like much, but when cooked with sugar, have a pleasant berry flavor that is usually used as a flavoring for pies and desserts.

Seed Availability

Seeds are now available at our seed store.

Description

Very small shrub, usually growing to only 12-24″. The wonderberry can fruit at just 3-4″ high.

Hardiness

Not frost hardy. Grow as an annual. Sunset Zones: All zones USDA: All zones

Growing Environment

The plants are exceedingly easy to grow and care is similar to the tomato, except that wonderberries tend to be less picky about temperature and water, and generally fruit much faster. Can be grown in full or part sun outdoors, or in a sunny window. Sow seeds directly in the ground during summer, or start inside. Germination is best when soil temperatures are above 70F. Keep the soil damp and repot as needed; wonderberry plants need little attention to flower and fruit. See also: garden huckleberry.

Propagation

By seed. May fruit in just 2-3 months.

Cooked and used as a flavoring for various desserts. The unripe (green) berries are poisonous.

Native Range

The wonderberry is a man-made cross between Solanum villosum and S. guineense, produced in the early 20th century by renowned plant breeder Luther Burbank. It closely resembles the wild garden huckleberry, and adding to the confusion, this common name is often used to describe the wonderberry as well. However, the flavor of the wonderberry is far superior to that of the garden huckleberry.

Related Species

Solanaceae
Acnistus arborescens Wild Tobacco	Brugmansia arborea Angel’s Trumpet
Brugmansia aurea Golden Angel’s Trumpet	Brugmansia candida White Angel’s Trumpet
Brugmansia sanguinea Red Angel’s Trumpet	Brugmansia suaveolens Angel’s Trumpet
Brugmansia versicolor Orange Angel’s Trumpet	Capsicum caballeroi Capsicum caballeroi
Capsicum exile Cobincho Pepper	Capsicum eximium Capsicum eximium
Capsicum flexuosum Capsicum flexuosum	Capsicum galapagoense Galapagos Island Pepper
Capsicum praetermissum Cumari	Capsicum rhomboideum Capsicum rhomboideum
Cyphomandra abutiloides Dwarf Tamarillo	Cyphomandra betacea Tree Tomato
Datura inoxia Thorn Apple	Datura metel Double Purple Datura
Iochroma australe (Acnistus australis) Mini Angel’s Trumpet	Iochroma cyaneum Violet Churcu
Iochroma fuchsioides Red Iochroma	Iochroma grandiflora Giant Iochroma
Jaltomata procumbens Jaltomato	Lycopersicon melanocarpa Lycopersicon melanocarpa
Lycopersicon skorospelka Lycopersicon skorospelka	Nicotiana glauca Tree Tobacco
Physalis alkekengi Chinese Lantern	Physalis angulata Mullaca
Physalis costomatl Cotztomatl	Physalis ixocarpa Tomatillo
Physalis minima Sunberry	Physalis peruviana Cape Gooseberry
Physalis pruinosa Ground Cherry	Solanum aviculare Kangaroo Apple
Solanum burbankii Wonderberry	Solanum caripense Tzimbalo
Solanum chessmanii Galapagos Island Tomato	Solanum dulcamara Bittersweet
Solanum hispidum Giant Devil’s Fig	Solanum lycocarpum Fruit for Wolves
Solanum macrocarpon Gbogname	Solanum mammosum Nipple Fruit
Solanum melanocerasum Garden Huckleberry	Solanum muricatum Pepino
Solanum pseudolulo Pseudolulo	Solanum quitoense Naranjilla
Solanum sessiliflorum Cocona	Solanum uporo Cannibal’s Tomato
Withania somnifera Ashwagandha

Wonderberry

3 ft. plants yield dozens of clusters of dark, ¼ in. berries; each cluster holds 8-12 fruits. Unique, huckleberry-like flavor makes for intriguing dessert fillings, jellies, syrups, etc. Green fruits are likely toxic and should not be consumed.

The Wonderberry, also known as the Sunberry, was originally botanically classified Solanum burbankii and today is classified as Solanum retroflexum. The fruit was created by renowned American plant breeder, Luther Burbank over 100 years ago when he crossed Solanum guinense of West Central Africa with Solanum villosum of Chile. Wonderberry bears a close resemblance to the garden huckleberry (Solanum melanocerasum) but is, in fact, a separate species. Many of these black colored berries of the Solanum genus are loosely referred to as “black nightshade”, though they should not be confused with “deadly nightshade” Atropa belladonna, which is an entirely different genus.