Tamarillo
Solanum betaceum
Also called Tree tomato and Tamarillo
Garden plant · Herbs, veg & fruitA tomato relative that makes a small tree and crops in its second year, which is fast for a fruit. It is NOT frost hardy and it is a Solanum — the leaves and the unripe fruit are not food, whatever the ripe ones taste like.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Hard
- Water
- Every 3 daysWater the ground — water at the base, in the morning, not over the leaves.
- Light
- Full sun, under glass in Britain
- Feed
- Once a fortnight
- Humidity
- Average
- Hardiness
- Indoors, or out for the summer RHS H1C, to 5°C
- Size
- 3 m tall · 2 m across
- Lifecycle
- Shrub
- Origin
- The Andes
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsToxic to pets
Affects dogs, cats, horses. Signs: drooling, vomiting, diarrhoea, drowsiness and a slowed heart rate.
PeopleNot checked yet
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-09-22.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- Every leaf blackened and hanging after a single cold night. It is not hardy anywhere in Britain — a pot that can come inside is the only way to keep one past its first autumn.Killed by one frost · disorder
- The whole plant leaning or snapped at the base after wind, with a full crop on it. The roots are shallow and the head is heavy — stake it the year it is planted.Blown over · disorder