Keeping houseplants has become a new hobby for many people. Not only it helps to pass a good time but also it is an eco-friendly hobby. You can nourish your hobby and contribute to saving the earth at the same time.

Jerusalem Cherry Plant can be a great choice for keeping this in your house. It is quite easy to care for it and maintain the care routine of the plant. It is like a bush and it often looks like a bonsai. Many people grow Jerusalem cherry plants not as a hobby but as a decoration piece for their house.  It has a tomato-like fruit which often adds a decorative look to your ‘Home sweet home’ in the festivals like ‘Christmas’ or any other happy occasion.

Origin of Jerusalem Cherry

Solanum Pseudocapsicum is the botanical name for Jerusalem Cherry Plant. So, basically Solanum Pseudocapsicum and Jerusalem Cherry are the same. The name of the plant is confusing. You might think at the first glance that this plant is only found in Jerusalem thus the plant is named after the country. But you are wrong if you are thinking that. The origin of this plant is from central America. The leaves of this plant are considered a weed in many countries like- America, Australia, etc. It is said to be carried by Portuguese people while traveling to Jerusalem. From then people had been keeping this plant in their houses as a symbol of the higher class in the society.

Jerusalem cherry grows a fruit that is poisonous but looks very beautiful. The fruit looks like an apple or a small juicy tomato. The plan is bushy. This makes it looks like a decorated Christmas tree. The fruit of the plant is also known as ‘Love apple’.

Characteristics of Jerusalem Chery

Jerusalem Cherry Plant is from the nightshade family of trees. The same member as the potatoes, eggplants, tobacco, Sunflower, Gerbera Daisy, Nightshade, etc. The fruit of Jerusalem cherry kind of looks like a small tomato, which makes this small plant so attractive. This tree grows in a small bush or shrub. This plant is mainly kept for ornamental use. It has no special benefits like providing fruits even though it grows beautiful fruits. This is because the fruit it grows is not edible. So, the fruit is in fact quite poisonous. That is why this needs to be kept out of the reach of children and pets. Solanum Pseudocapsicum can also be used like a showpiece tree that only increases the beauty of the house while kept as a houseplant.

Jerusalem Cherry Plant requires some special care but they are not that hard to do if you really want a Jerusalem cherry tree in your house. All you have to do is to check it gets what it needs like water, light, fertilizer, temperature as its consuming capacity. Make sure you do not pour any extra water into your plant. After caring properly for 2-3 years the waiting will be over and you’ll have a full-grown Jerusalem Cherry tree. Once it starts to grow fruits, the fruits will grow every year till the cherry plant dies.

Propagation of Jerusalem Cherry Plant

Even though Jerusalem Cherry can be found in every season but the best time to sow the seed of this plant is from August to November. It starts to produce fruits after 2-3 years if the plant is taken care of properly. This helps you to get a permanent decoration piece for the next 10 year’s Christmas or any other house parties.

Plant in Pots or plants with Seeds?

Now, there are no arguments about this. You will get the same result even if you plant Jerusalem Cherry from seeds or buy a plant from a nursery. But there are some differences in care routine in the two different planting ways in the time of the beginning of planting. But afterward, all are the same. Both the way needs separate treatments. For example- if you buy seeds to plant the trees you have to wait for a long time and if you buy a grown plant then it is very likely to get the fruits from the next year to use it as a decoration piece.

Growing Jerusalem Cherries in Pots

Jerusalem Cherry is an excellent choice for keeping as a houseplant in your pots. For planting Jerusalem Cherry, you just need to find one first. You will find a Jerusalem Cherry in almost every local nursery in any season of the year. Especially, in the time of Christmas as this plant is used as a decoration tree for the colorful festival.

Growing Jerusalem Cherry Plants from Seeds

The seeds of Jerusalem Cherry should be sown in the early Spring. This should be done after the frostbite of Winter ends, otherwise, it would be hard for the plant to survive.  You can plant the seed in rich soil in your backyard garden if you have one. If you can plant the Jerusalem cherry at the beginning of Spring, you will have a full-grown Jerusalem cherry in the late fall season.

Required Items for Jerusalem Cherry Plant

There are some required items needed to care for the Jerusalem Cherry plant. The required items are-

• the rich, well weary potting soil
• bright Light
• medium size planting pot(30-38cm)
• liquid 5-10-5 blooming houseplant fertilizer
• dry and warm environment
• water
• 50-70-degree temperature

Growing Solanum Pseudocapsicum: Propagation and Care

Like any other plant, Jerusalem cherry would need sunlight, water, and fertilizer to survive. But there are some specific steps to follow while you plant this special little plant. They are-

1. Required Sunlight and Temperature:

After you get a Jerusalem Cherry you need to keep it in the temperature above 72 degrees to keep it enough warm and dry. Jerusalem Cherry requires rich well-drained soil and somberly bright light. This plant also needs to be placed somewhere it would get enough sunlight. Keeping it beside the window can be a good option, but if you keep it as a decoration piece and you can not keep it beside the window all the time, you can often keep the plant where it would get enough sunlight every day. Without enough sunlight, it will be hard for the plant to survive. The least temperature it can survive in is 41 F. (5 C.) and the maximum temperature it can tolerate is above 72 F./22 C.Just make sure it’s in a medium temperature. Because too much warmness will kill it just like too much cold can.

2. Applying Fertilizer:

Also, you need to use blooming liquid houseplant fertilizer for your Jerusalem Cherry every two weeks to help the plant to grow. Once your Jerusalem Cherry finishes blooming, there will be no need to apply fertilizer anymore. The amount of fertilizer should be (5-10-5) in two weeks.

3. Trimming:

After the blooming and fruit season, you have to trim the plant to bring the plant in proper shape. The trimming should be done with proper measurements with the help of an expert or with an expert’s advice, otherwise, the plant might die.

4. Provide Winter Rest:

Yes, you heard that right! Jerusalem cherry needs a hibernate break too. As it is mentioned earlier that too cold weather is harmful to them. To give your precious plan a winter break you need to start cutting off the unnecessary branches. Then you have to reduce the amount of water you used to pour for the tree. Also, you need to stop fertilizing your Jerusalem Cherry plant. After the coldness of Winter passes, you can resume your regular caring for your little plant again.

5. Repotting:

After your Jerusalem cherry had bloomed once, you can use a bigger pot with rich soil to help it prepare to grow every year. It can also be planted in plain rich soil if you have a sunny garden. But along with the watering and fertilizing the drainage system must be well taken care of too. It usually grows up to 2-3 feet. If you keep your plant indoors you might want to keep trimming it before it grows too much. And if your plant is placed outside you can just let it grow as it does and only trim a bit to keep it in shape.

Interesting Facts About Jerusalem Cherry Plant:

• Solanum Pseudocapsicumor Jerusalem cherry is named after Jerusalem but the origin of Jerusalem cherry is not in Jerusalem but in Central America.
• Known as the Winter Cherry and Christmas Cherry but it blooms in the summer.
• Leaves of Solanum Pseudocapsicum are considered a weed in many countries like in parts of Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
• The fruits that grow from this plant are called cherries. which are usually edible but Jerusalem cherries are actually very poisonous.

Final Thoughts

In spite of being an awesome house plant, there some cautions to be careful about this solanum Pseudocapsicum. The beautiful and juicy looking cherries are toxic. Swallowing the fruit can cause affect the digestive system largely. If you have or if you want to keep Jerusalem cherry plant at your house, you must first make sure it is kept away from the reach of your children and pets. Or this pretty fruit might become a great danger to you.