23 comments on “Wordless Wednesday: Solanum pyracanthum, the porcupine tomato”

  1. pobept says:
    August 12, 2015 at 3:17 pm

    Looks mean enough to whip a bear!

    Happy Gardening

    Reply
  2. johnvic8 says:
    August 12, 2015 at 3:39 pm

    I think I will let you keep that one…far, far away from here. Enjoy it.

    Reply
  3. Lisa Rest says:
    August 12, 2015 at 3:48 pm

    What a beautiful plant! Thanks for posting!

    Reply
  4. The Chatsworth Lady says:
    August 12, 2015 at 3:49 pm

    Wow… I would NOT want to have to weed that out of a border without wearing a suit of armor! :-O

    Reply
    • bittster says:
      August 12, 2015 at 11:40 pm

      You can bet I’ll be using gloves during fall cleanup… Maybe I’ll steal the BBQ tongs and use them to carry it out to the compost pile after frost.

      Reply
  5. Chloris says:
    August 12, 2015 at 6:36 pm

    Weirdly lovely

    Reply
  6. Kimberley at Cosmos and Cleome says:
    August 12, 2015 at 8:16 pm

    Ouch.

    Reply
  7. Kathy from Cold Climate Gardening says:
    August 13, 2015 at 2:40 am

    I can’t decide whether that is a sadistic plant or you are a masochistic gardener. You can grow a potato or even nightshade for the same pretty flower without any of the risk of personal injury (unless you ingest the nightshade). It’s a good thing your kids are old enough to understand “don’t touch.” Heck they are old enough to figure it out for themselves. Have you read the Layered Garden by David Culp? I believe he has that plant in one of his borders or one that is pretty similar.

    Reply
    • bittster says:
      August 13, 2015 at 3:12 am

      Welllllll, I believe the plant in ‘the Layered Garden’ is a bed of nails plant, not the porcupine tomato. The porcupine tomato is closer to black malevolence than to the bed of nails 😉
      How much fun are common names!?
      … and how weird would it be to grow them all together? Not a garden I would want to weed!
      The kids have a healthy respect for the garden but I prefer all these things to be knee high and not eye level. Poisonous is also something I’m holding back on for a few more years. No need to enforce Darwin’s laws in the home garden.

      Reply
  8. Lily Lau says:
    August 13, 2015 at 7:11 pm

    Thanks for this lovely share, I feel more cultivated after reading you! 😉

    Reply
  9. casa mariposa says:
    August 14, 2015 at 9:00 pm

    No effing way! That plant breaks all my rules about not stabbing the hand that waters you!

    Reply
  10. susurrus says:
    August 22, 2015 at 11:13 am

    What wonderful pictures of spines! I’ve tried to take them without much success – they’re far from easy!

    Reply
  11. Porcupine Tomato | Solanum pyracanthum says:
    February 11, 2017 at 5:17 am

    […] image source | web page: sorta like suburbia […]

    Reply
  12. Rocking Ithaca with NARGS « sorta like suburbia says:
    June 19, 2022 at 5:13 am

    […] and then there was Karma Glos of Kingbird Farm who I probably bothered the most.  She had porcupine tomato seedlings and that’s all it took.  In addition to the porcupine a few other seedlings joined my box […]

    Reply

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