I have grown the Jerusalem Cherry for many years now. You can grow them as bonsai, they like full sun. Here is some information about them that I have been collecting over the years from books etc....
The Jerusalem Cherry has a few different names, (i.e. Winter Cherry, Christmas Cherry, Madeira Cherry, Cleveland Cherry, and Coral Bush. In French its called, Cerisier de Jerusalem, which means Cherry
tree of Jerusalem. I have seen these names listed for this
plant, in old houseplant books and on the internet.
There are two different types (species) of the Jerusalem Cherry (Solanum Pseudocapsicum) and (Solanum Capsicastrum). Very often, they are confused for each other because they basically look the same, especially in cultivation with the many varieties available today. Most
flower shops etc, do not label the particular species/variety when you purchase it. The Pseudo-capsicum is normally a larger
plant, while the capsicastrum is more compact. But I have seen dwarf varieties of the Pseudo-capsicum. Also there is a Variegated Jerusalem Cherry (Solanum Capsicastrum Variegatum).
This
plant dates back to the 1600's & is native to Madeira, Brazil, & Uruguay (I did read on a russian website, that this
plant was in cultivation back in 1596). A very early account of this
plant, is in a book called, Stirpium Historiae Pemptades, revised edition of the year 1616, by Dutch botanist Rembert Dodoens. Quoted by Linnaeus at a later date, Dodoens describes the
plant, speaks of its cultivation, explains its cultivation, explains its name etc. He also mentions that Pseudocapsicum gets its name from its likeness to Capsicum. Books I have read, say the JC
plant was a very popular Christmas
plant during the Victorian era. You also see this
plant in many old house
plant books from the 50's 60's & 70's. Today (as of 09-28-04) , the
plant is still sold in large numbers, but many places (i.e. Home Depot etc) carry
pepper plants instead. Ornamental
peppers are easier to grow then the JC
plant & ornamental
peppers are not poisonous. The Jerusalem Cherry's berries are mildly poisonous, it would be best to keep them away from small children & pets. This South American
plant's name derives from its colorful berries. The names Jerusalem Cherry, Christmas Cherry, Winter Cherry, Coral Bush, etc are all associated with this
plant, because the
plant is usually offered during the Christmas/Holiday season. The name "Jerusalem" in general has been given to many
plants, i.e Jerusalem sage,artichoke,oak etc. Another source that I have read, an expert on
plant names, said the word Jerusalem, as in other
plant names, is to stand for as a vague name for a distant foreign country.
The care for this
plant is pretty straight forward. The JC
plant needs bright light & a cool room (around 60f) during the winter months. Feed at half strength fert from Jan-May while
plant is indoors. In the
spring, before I put this
plant outdoors, I cut it back almost halfway & then bring it out for the summer. The JC
plant needs to be outside in order for the
flowers to be pollinated. Give your JC
plant Tomato Fertilizer or Flowering
plant Fertilizer from May-Oct (I live in New JERSEY,usa). From Oct-Dec do not fertilize the JC
plant, so it may rest. Water the
plant well, when the soil starts to slightly dry water well again. The JC
plant likes full sun. Some books claim this
plant is an annual & to discard after fruiting, but this is wrong. The JC
plant is a perennial & can be kept for many years, I have one since 1992. Just watch for whiteflies, they sometimes attack this
plant.
Also, there are several varieties of this
plant.... NEW PATTERSON.. standered JC
plant sold, green leaves, berries are green & turn orange/redish... JOKER..This is dwarf, berries are yellowish, orange & red..... FANCY..This is a small variety.. SNOWFIRE...This has white berries, that turn red.. CHERRY JUBILEE...This has white berries, yellow, then red berries... JUBZILEE..This is another dwarf
plant... RED GIANT...This has large berries (looks allot like cherry tomatoes) SNOWSTORM...This is the variegated Jerusalem Cherry.. BALLAD..This is a small variety with whitish green berries, that turn red... Finally CAPITAL...This has green berries that turn red.