Pepino dulce
Solanum muricatum
A sprawling bush with juicy, melon-like striped fruit; easy from cuttings.
Hardiness: zones 9 to 11
Light: full sun
Size: about 3 ft tall, 4 ft wide
Harvest: August to October
From: Andes
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. Hardy in zones 9 to 11.
The story
Pepino dulce was painted on Moche pottery 2,000 years ago and grown on the Peruvian and Chilean coasts, a melon-flavoured fruit on a tomato-like bush; it nearly vanished after the conquest and was revived in New Zealand and Chile in the 1980s.
Planting
Full sun, rich drained soil, and a mild frost-free climate, or as an annual elsewhere; set out plants after frost, 2 feet apart, with a cage.
Growing
Water steadily and feed like a tomato; shelter from frost and wind. Take cuttings to overwinter indoors.
Harvest and use
Fruit ripens cream with purple stripes about three months after flowering; pick when fragrant and slightly soft. Eat like melon.
What to watch for
Aphids, whitefly, and frost.
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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