Naranjilla (lulo)
Solanum quitoense
Green-orange juice of Colombian and Costa Rican highlands; needs cool shade.
Hardiness: zones 10 to 11
Light: part shade
Size: about 6 ft tall, 6 ft wide
Harvest: year-round
From: Andes and Central American highlands
Here: Too tender to overwinter outdoors on the Lake Erie shore (zone 6b to 7a): grow it in a pot and bring it in, or treat it as an annual.
Good for: food.
Native to: Andean highlands, Tropical South America. Hardy in zones 10 to 11.
The story
Naranjilla, lulo, was grown by Indigenous peoples of the Andean foothills of Ecuador and Colombia, and its green-orange juice, tasting of pineapple and lime, is a staple of Ecuadorian and Colombian tables; it is grown in the Costa Rican highlands too. The plant is spiny and the fruit is fuzzy.
Planting
Part shade, rich, moist, drained soil, and a cool, humid, frost-free climate; a spiny shrub to 6 feet. Plant a seedling in the wet season.
Growing
Keep moist and shaded from hot sun; it dislikes wind. Replace plants after three or four years. It fruits within a year.
Harvest and use
Pick when the fruit turns orange and loses its fuzz; rub off the hairs, halve, and squeeze or blend the green pulp into juice with sugar.
What to watch for
Nematodes, heat, and the spines.
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More tropical and subtropical food plants
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home