Morelle de Balbis Fruit Seeds

This fruit also goes by the name ‘Litchi Tomato’ (it’s not a tomato) and ‘Fire and Ice’ plant. Large bright red berries form on stately 5 foot plants that, when young, look like oak trees somehow. As the plant matures it begins to grow significant thorns everywhere. Clearly, this is still a wild fruit without much, if any, selection put into it. However, one can pick the fruits without getting poked as the thorny covering pulls away from the cap of the fruit when ripe. The flavor of the red fruits themselves seem to cause a division of opinion. Some find them a bland cross between cherries and tomatoes; that is probably the most common taste report. This has not been my experience, the fruits (to my taste) have a very nice sweet flavour nothing like either of those, but they are a little seedy. I have grown patches that harbour a dozen plants hanging with red fruits. I think it would probably make a good cooking fruit; Baker Creek has a pie recipe for them. As dangerous as the plants look they do have a rather dignified if imposing presence. A rewarding plant I’ll keep forever, but not for the faint of heart. Very simple to grow, culture is exactly the same as for tomato plants. There must be more than one plant for pollination. 2023 seed.