Giant Devil’s Fig
Solanum chrysotrichum
NEMBA category
English: Giant Devil's Fig, Tropical Soda Apple
Afrikaans: Reuse-duiwelsvy
Historical scientific names: Solanum hispidum, Solanum platyacanthum
Solanum chrysotrichum, commonly known as Giant Devil's Fig, is a large, prickly, evergreen shrub or small tree. It is characterised by its enormous, lobed, hairy leaves, which are covered in sharp, often purplish thorns, its clusters of white flowers, and its yellow-orange berries.
Have you got a better picture?
If you don't mind us using it, please upload it by clicking the Upload button below (you must be logged in to do this)
Origin:
Central America and Mexico.
Distinguishing features:
Very large, deeply lobed leaves covered with soft, yellowish hairs.
Numerous stiff, straight, often purplish or dark brown thorns on stems, leaf veins, and calyces.
Large clusters of white, star-shaped flowers.
Round, green to yellow-orange berries that persist in large bunches.
Leaves and stems covered in soft, yellowish-orange, bristly hairs (trichomes).
Overall appearance:
Solanum chrysotrichum grows as a robust, often multi-stemmed, sprawling evergreen shrub or small tree. It forms dense, impenetrable thickets, with its overall appearance being quite coarse and heavily armed with spines.
Height:
Typically grows 2 to 5 metres tall, but can reach up to 8 metres in ideal conditions.
Width:
It can spread to a width of 3 to 6 metres, forming extensive, dense stands.
Leaves:
The leaves are alternate, very large (up to 40 cm long and 30 cm wide), deeply lobed (pinnatifid or pinnatisect) with 5-9 prominent lobes, and covered on both surfaces with soft, yellowish to golden-brown, velvety hairs (hence "chrysotrichum" meaning golden-haired). They are armed with prominent, stiff, straight, often purplish or reddish-brown thorns (up to 1.5 cm long) along the midrib and veins on both the upper and lower surfaces. The petioles (leaf stalks) are also thorny.
Flowers:
The flowers are star-shaped with five white petals (sometimes tinged cream or pale purple), 2-3 cm in diameter, with prominent yellow stamens in the centre. They are borne in large, branched clusters (cymes) that emerge opposite the leaves. Solanum chrysotrichum flowers are hermaphroditic, containing both male and female reproductive parts, so it is not dioecious.
Flowering season:
In South Africa, it has a long flowering season, typically from spring through autumn (around September to May), with prolific flowering during the warmer, wet months.
Fruits:
The fruits are round berries, 1.5-2.5 cm in diameter. They are initially green and ripen to a dull yellow-orange or orange-brown colour. The berries are produced in large, dense clusters and remain on the plant for a long time. Each berry is partially enclosed by a spiny calyx.
Seeds:
The seeds are numerous, small, flattened, disc-shaped, and light brown, typically 2-3 mm in diameter. Each berry can contain 100-200 viable seeds. The seeds are dispersed by birds and can remain viable in the soil for several years, forming a persistent seed bank.
Bark:
The bark on young stems is green, densely covered with yellowish, bristly hairs and armed with numerous thorns. As the plant matures, the bark on the main stem becomes brownish-grey and can be somewhat rough.
Thorns:
This is a defining characteristic. The plant is heavily armed with stiff, straight, yellowish, reddish, or purplish thorns (up to 1.5 cm long) on the stems, petioles, leaf veins (both surfaces), and even the calyx surrounding the fruit. These thorns are dense and very sharp.
Wood:
The wood is soft, light, and brittle. It has no commercial timber value.
Roots:
It has a fibrous, shallow, and spreading root system, which allows it to rapidly colonise disturbed sites and compete effectively for surface moisture.
Soil type:
It is highly adaptable and can grow in a wide range of soil types, including sandy, loamy, and clay soils, often thriving in disturbed, degraded, or nutrient-poor conditions. It prefers well-drained soils and high rainfall.
Aspect:
Prefers full sun to partial shade. It is not tolerant of severe frost but can recover from light frost. It thrives in warm, moist, high-rainfall areas.
Edibility:
All parts of Solanum chrysotrichum, especially the unripe fruits and foliage, are highly toxic and not edible. Despite looking like small tomatoes, they should never be consumed.
Toxicity:
All parts of Solanum chrysotrichum are highly toxic due to the presence of steroidal glycoalkaloids, similar to other invasive Solanum species. Ingestion can cause severe poisoning in humans and livestock, with symptoms including gastrointestinal upset (nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea), headache, and in severe cases, neurological effects. The abundant, sharp thorns can also cause mechanical injury and skin irritation.
Uses:
Due to its highly invasive nature and toxicity, it has no beneficial uses in South Africa. In its native range, it might have very limited, cautious traditional medicinal uses.
Ecology:
As a highly aggressive alien invasive species in South Africa, Solanum chrysotrichum poses severe ecological threats:
Forms impenetrable thickets: Its dense, spiny growth creates impenetrable barriers that restrict access for humans, livestock, and wildlife, significantly reducing grazing land and hindering movement.
Outcompetes indigenous vegetation: It rapidly colonises disturbed areas, forest margins, plantations, roadsides, and open grasslands, forming monocultures that outcompete and shade out native plants, leading to drastic reductions in biodiversity.
Habitat transformation: It fundamentally alters the structure and composition of natural ecosystems, displacing native flora and fauna.
Reduces agricultural productivity: It invades pastures and agricultural fields, reducing grazing capacity and potentially acting as a host for pests and diseases.
Poisoning risk: Its toxic berries are readily eaten and dispersed by birds (such as starlings and bulbuls), facilitating its spread, though direct poisoning of native wildlife is not widely documented in South Africa. Livestock are at risk if forced to graze on it. The thorns also pose a physical hazard.
Distribution and habitat:
In South Africa, Solanum chrysotrichum is widely distributed and highly problematic, particularly in the summer rainfall regions with higher moisture. It is found in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Eastern Cape, and Gauteng. It commonly invades forest margins, plantations (especially commercial timber plantations), roadsides, waste areas, cultivated fields, and degraded natural veld.
Derivation of name:
The genus name Solanum is derived from the Latin "solamen," meaning "comfort" or "relief," possibly referring to the medicinal properties of some species.
The species name chrysotrichum comes from Greek, "chrysos" (golden) and "thrix" (hair), referring to the distinctive golden-yellow, bristly hairs that cover the stems and leaves.
Common names like "Giant Devil's Fig" refer to its large size, formidable thorns (devil's), and fig-like appearance of its leaves.
Historical aspects:
Solanum chrysotrichum was likely introduced to South Africa as an ornamental plant or accidentally via contaminated seed in the mid to late 20th century. Its rapid growth, prolific seed production, and adaptability to various disturbed habitats quickly led to its establishment and spread. It is now recognised as a major environmental weed in South Africa, requiring extensive control measures.
Interesting facts:
Imagine a plant that looks like it's wearing a golden, thorny coat – that's the Giant Devil's Fig! Its leaves are covered in soft, yellowish hairs, but beneath those hairs are incredibly sharp, purplish thorns.
Its name "Devil's Fig" isn't just for show – those thorns are truly formidable! They make invaded areas almost impossible for humans or animals to pass through.
This plant is a super-producer when it comes to seeds. Each of its small, orange berries is packed with hundreds of tiny seeds, and birds love to eat them, helping to spread this thorny problem far and wide.
It's like a fast-growing, thorny wall that takes over natural spaces, outcompeting everything else. It really does live up to its "giant" name!
Friendly alternatives:
Common name
Scientific Name
Plant type:
Plant type
Plant family:
Plant family (derivation)