Solanum Pseudocapsicum

Solanum pseudocapsicum is a nightshade species with poisonous fruit. It is commonly known as the Jerusalem Cherry, Madeira Winter Cherry, or, ambiguously, "winter cherry". These perennials can be grown decoratively as house plants, but in some areas of Australia and New Zealand the plant has become a weed.

The plant is perennial in zones up to USDA 8. Native to Peru and Ecuador, they can survive frosts and cold weather. They generally live up to 10 years, producing fruit usually in their second or third year, and every year after that. They are congeners of tomatoes and the fruit is extremely similar to cherry tomatoes in taste and texture, and are therefore easily confused with them.

The Jerusalem Cherry's poison is primarily solanocapsine, which is similar to other alkaloids found in their genus, such as solanine and atropine. Although the toxin is poisonous, it is generally not life-threatening. It may cause gastric problems, including vomiting and gastroenteritis as referenced in the obsolete scientific name S. ipecacuanha (roughly "ipecac nightshade").

Jerusalem cherries are also highly poisonous to dogs, cats, and some birds. Though Jerusalem Cherry is distributed by certain birds in the wild – both where native and where introduced, e.g. in Australia by the Pied Currawong (Strepera graculina) –, most popular pet birds, namely parrots and relatives, are not immune to its poison.

See also: List of Jerusalem cherry diseases