Tree tomato (tamarillo)
Solanum betaceum
A fast, short-lived small tree with tangy red egg-shaped fruit; shelter it from wind.
Hardiness: zones 10 to 11
Light: full sun to part shade
Size: about 12 ft tall, 6 ft wide
Harvest: October to February
From: Andes of Bolivia and Peru
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 10 to 11.
The story
The tree tomato grows in the Andean cloud forests of Bolivia and Peru, where it has been eaten since before the Inca; New Zealand renamed it tamarillo in 1967 and grows it commercially, and it is the ají base of Ecuadorian table sauce.
Planting
Full sun or light shade, rich, drained soil, shelter from wind, and a cool, frost-free climate; it grows well in a large pot. Plant a seedling; it fruits in 18 months.
Growing
Water steadily and mulch; shallow roots dry fast. Stake the brittle trunk. Prune lightly after harvest; replace plants after five years.
Harvest and use
Fruit ripens red or gold in autumn and winter; scoop the tangy pulp from the bitter skin, or blanch and peel for sauce and chutney.
What to watch for
Frost, wind, aphids and whitefly.
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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