Christmas Cherry
Sources last read 14 September 2026.
Not yet rated How forgiving it is has not been judged here yet.
Also called false Jerusalem cherry, Jerusalem cherry, Madeira Cherry, Madeira winter cherry, Natal Cherry and winter cherry.
Christmas Cherry is toxic
- Toxic to cats. Toxic principle: Solanine. Clinical signs: Gastrointestinal disturbances, possible ulceration of the gastrointestinal system, seizures, depression, respiratory depression, and shock. ASPCA
- Toxic to dogs. Toxic principle: Solanine. Clinical signs: Gastrointestinal disturbances, possible ulceration of the gastrointestinal system, seizures, depression, respiratory depression, and shock. ASPCA
- Toxic to people. Harmful when eaten. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it. RHS
What the sources say about its care
- Light
- Full sun, Partial shadeRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Water
- Moist but well-drainedRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Humidity
No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.
ASHRAE recommends indoor relative humidity between 30% and 60% 30–60%Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026- Temperature
How cold this tolerates, not what it prefers. No source read for this site publishes a preferred range for a plant indoors.
H2 — 1–5°C 1–5 °CRHS · read 13 September 2026- Soil
- Loam; pH NeutralRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to cats
- ToxicASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to dogs
- ToxicASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Harmful to people
- Harmful when eaten. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it.RHS · read 13 September 2026
Routine care
- Watering
- Leaves drop if it gets too much sun or water.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Propagation
- Seed, stem cuttingsNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Increase from seed or semi-ripe cuttings.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pruning
- Pruning group 9 for long-term plants; otherwise pruning is not needed.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pests and diseases
- Diseases: southern bacterial wilt.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Can be troubled by glasshouse red spider mite and aphids. Diseases: grey moulds and, rarely, honey fungus.RHS · read 13 September 2026
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Photographs
About the plant
Solanum pseudocapsicum is a nightshade species with mildly poisonous fruit. It is commonly known as the Jerusalem cherry, Madeira winter cherry, xiuhecapatl, or ambiguously, "winter cherry". These perennials can be grown decoratively as house plants, but in some areas of South Africa, India, Australia and New Zealand it is regarded as a weed.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026
- Native range
- Bolivia to Brazil and S. South AmericaWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Boliva to Brazil, and southern South AmericaNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Climate
- wet tropicalWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- Growth form
- subshrub or shrubWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Annual, Perennial, Shrub; habit dense, erect, multi-stemmedNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Bushy (evergreen)RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Size
- Height 4–36 in; width 4–36 inNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Height 0.1-0.5 metres; spread 0.1-0.5 metres after 1 yearRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Flowering
- Flowers white; blooms in summerNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Flowers white in summerRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Uses
What sources record people using this plant for. A traditional or medicinal use listed here is a record of use, not advice to eat it or treat anything with it.
Folk medicine has applied the plant externally for boils and abdominal pain. Every part of the plant is toxic and not edible.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
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Sources
- ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Wikipedia · read 13 September 2026
What this does not cover
The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.
Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.
If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.