Peruvian Tomato (Solanum Peruvianum)

Solanum peruvianum Origin: Peru Improvement status: Cultivated wild material Seeds per packet: ~30 Germination tested 10/2024: 95% Life cycle: Annual Another gem from Joseph Lofthouse, Landrace Seedsman, in high-altitude Paradise, Utah. Like all of Joseph's seeds, these are super resilient and contain a great diversity of genes. Solanum peruvianum is a wild tomato relative from South America (mainly northern Chile to central Peru). It is not a domesticated species, but it is collected and eaten from the wild in its native habitat. Joseph has been growing it for years and in his hands it may be well on the way to at least semi-domestication. He's been selecting for better flavor and larger fruits. But already he describes the flavor as "sweet" and "tomato-like", and better than a supermarket tomato. It has much more cold tolerance than typical tomatoes, but is far less productive at this point. Joseph also appreciates the plant for its "clusters of big flowers carried above the foliag