Cyphomandra Betacea (Tree Tomato – Tamarillo)(Red)

Description

The tamarillo (Cyphomandra betacea, synonym: Solanum betaceum) is a plant in the nightshade family (Solanaceae). It is a highly branched, fast-growing, evergreen, up to 9 m high semi-shrub with a short trunk and thick, soft branches.

The fruit is an ovoid berry. The thin, smooth, shiny skin is ripe yellow, orange, tomato-red, violet or purplish-red with sometimes longitudinal dark stripes. The juicy flesh is creamy yellow, yellow, orange, or orange-red and tastes sour aromatic. The skin tastes bitter. The fruit contains many flat seeds.

The tamarillo occurs naturally in the Andes at altitudes between 1000 and 3000 m. The species is cultivated worldwide in the subtropics and tropical mountains.