The surinam cherry is a tasty sweet fruit and this kind is a large dark-red type originating from Argentina. They can have a tangy/spicy/resinous flavour, though this is more mild on the darker fruited types.
The most common kind is the light red type which are nice but the darker coloured ones such as this tend to be much sweeter. It is also a very good looking tree as a bonus – this seedling has been outdoors in Auckland the whole winter, not even in a greenhouse, yet still looks great.
Seedlings generally grow true to type or close (but can vary), and can often fruit as young as 2-3 years but likely longer if you are in a colder part of the country. Young plants can survive around to -2c while more mature ones can take around -4c. If you are in an area prone to a lot of frosts then container growing may be a better idea but usually these can be planted in the ground and are quite hardy things. Suitable for decent fruiting in part-shade locations but fruit production will be higher in full-sun.
