Those who've enjoyed these berries in soups and curries in Thai restaurants might wonder why they suddenly disappeared -- and if we could...Read More grow our own. These bitter, slightly more than pea-sized berries are, like so many SE Asian condiments, positively irresistable in their proper context. Here's what I found out about my plant, which has bloomed and set berries for me in Central CA.
This slightly woody-based perennial has naturalized in a few locations in our southernmost state and is listed as invasive in HI, FL, where its presence has been documented in 6 counties, and Puerto Rico. It's also been found in the southernmost county of Alabama. It has evidently spread into thickets in some low, wet areas, or has the potential to do so -- not a good plant to have if you live in such a place in one of these states.
I happen to have a plant, but as it's never been found naturalized in CA, much less my area, have no plans to destroy it. The berries are said to have to ripen completely on the plant for the seeds to be viable, which I find entirely believable, as I tried for 20 years to germinate seeds from the ripest berries I could glean from those I bought in my Asian market. While the plant seems fairly cold-resistant, the berries shrivel at temperatures well above freezing. My plant so far only begins to bloom in late summer, and I'm lucky if I can harvest immature berries, so I don't feel that there's any danger of the seeds being spread by birds (who would in any case have to fly hundreds of miles before excreting to plant a seed in a hospitable place).
This is in no way a recommendation for trying to bootleg specimens of this plant, and it would certainly be a horrible sin to send seeds about because who knows in what S. Torvum-friendly warm wet part of which state they might end up -- but I'm not convinced that those in dry, cold areas need destroy their specimens, any more than that all Buddleias need be destroyed where they are not listed as invasive.
Those who've enjoyed these berries in soups and curries in Thai restaurants might wonder why they suddenly disappeared -- and if we could...Read More
Look more like a buch of tiny green grapes than eggplant. but are quite popular in Thai cuisine.