About Solanum sisymbriifolium Lam.
Solanum sisymbriifolium Lam. is commonly known by multiple common names: vila-vila, sticky nightshade, red buffalo-bur, the fire-and-ice plant, litchi tomato, and Morelle de Balbis. Its small edible fruits have red outer flesh and yellow inner flesh, and each fruit grows enclosed in a spiny green husk. The fruit is considered ripe when it can be easily removed from the plant's stem. Its flavor is similar to sour cherries, with a faint resemblance to tomato. This species has been used as a trap crop to protect potato crops from potato cyst nematode. The plant's stems and leaves contain solasodine, which gives it strong natural resistance to most pests and diseases; the only common exceptions are potato beetles and tomato hornworms. It can also be grown as a hedge plant to keep animals out of gardens, because its entire surface is covered in prickles, which are often incorrectly referred to as thorns.
