SolanumBush Tomato Solanum centrale Solanum chippendalei Solanum ellipticum Solanum quadriloculatum

The Bush Tomato, also known as the Desert Raisin (Solanum centrale), is one of the traditional bush tucker plants that has gained popularity in western cuisine.

Whilst there are several edible species of Solanum found in the Central Australia region, Solanum centrale is the most popular and considered favourable for cultivation to satisfy western demands.

Care should be taken when identifying the bush tomato in the wild as there are a number of closely related species, that are similar in appearance, but are toxic. In addition, there can be variation to the bush tomato within the same species, the variation usually obvious in the leaves, making it appear to be different plants, even when they are growing in the same area.

The fruit of the bush tomato are round, approximately 10-20 mm in diameter and turn from green to yellow when ripe. When they are dried they look like raisins. Fruit ripening on the bush dry to resemble a raisin.

The Solanum centrale has a more star-shaped flower, whilst the leaves can vary slightly from plant to plant in the shape, colour and size. The leaves can be pale green or greyish, and are finely furry, with a velvety feel. Unlike the Solanum ellipticum which is more hairy along the stems.

CAUTION
If you are not an expert at identifying the plant, ‘DO NOT’ eat the fruit, as some Solanum species that look similar, are toxic.

In the Solanum species, the unripe fruit contains the toxin solanine (the same as that found in green potatoes). Only a select few species of Solanum produce edible fruit when fully ripen. Others remain toxic.

There are many other Solanum species that resemble Solanum centrale, and only some of them produce edible fruit eg Solanum chippendalei and Solanum ellipticum. Some closely related species produce fruit that are toxic.
Bush Tomato

The following images were provided courtesy of Tony Bean, Senior Botanist, Queensland Herbarium, Brisbane (Solanum is one of his specialities). AusEmade is appreciative of his contribution to our section on Solanum.

Bush Tomato (Solanum centrale) © Tony Bean, Senior Botanist, Queensland Herbarium, Brisbane
Bush Tomato (Solanum centrale) © Tony Bean, Senior Botanist, Queensland Herbarium, Brisbane
Bush Tomato (Solanum centrale) © Tony Bean, Senior Botanist, Queensland Herbarium, Brisbane
Bush Tomato (Solanum centrale) © Tony Bean, Senior Botanist, Queensland Herbarium, Brisbane
Bush Tomato (Solanum centrale) © Tony Bean, Senior Botanist, Queensland Herbarium, Brisbane

Common name
Bush Tomato, Bush Raisin, Desert Raisin.

  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Plantae
  • Clade: Tracheophytes
  • Clade: Angiosperms
  • Clade: Eudicots
  • Clade: Asterids
  • Order: Solanales
  • Family: Solanaceae
  • Genus: Solanum
  • Species: Solanum centrale

SolanumBush Tomato Solanum centrale Solanum chippendalei Solanum ellipticum Solanum quadriloculatum

FloraFlora in Australia Flora Index Acacia Anigozanthos (Kangaroo Paws) Annual Yellowtop Apium prostratum subsp. prostratum var filiforme Apple Bush (Pterocaulon sphacelatum) Australian Bluebell Australian Gossypium Banksia Batswing Coral Tree Billy Buttons Birdsville Indigo Blue Pincushion Bush Banana Callistemon Callitris drummondii (Drummond’s Cypress Pine) Calothamnus quadrifidus Cape Honeysuckle Cassia fistula (Golden Shower) Cattle Bush Common Heath Crotalaria Darwinia wittwerorum (Wittwer’s Mountain Bell) Daviesia oppositifolia (Rattle-pea) Desert Oaks Drumsticks Eremophila Eucalyptus Ficus Flannel Cudweed (Actinobole uliginosum) Georges Indigo Goatshead Burr (Sclerolaena bicornis) Golden Everlasting Goodenia Gossypium Grass and Grasses Grass Trees Grevillea Grey Germander Hakea Kapok Bush (Aerva javanica) Lambertia sp Leptospermum MacDonnell Ranges Cycad Maireana scleroptera Mexican Poppy Minnie Daisy Mistletoe Family Nardoo Native Apricot Nicotiana megalosiphon subspecies sessilifolia Nuytsia floribunda Orange Spade Flower Orchidaceae Parakeelyas (Calandrinia) Pebble Bush (Stylobasium spathulatum) Perennial Yellow Top Pink Everlasting Pink Rock Wort Poached Egg Daisy Portulaca Proteaceae Ptilotus Quandong Resurrection Fern Rosy Dock Ruby Saltbush Santalum Solanum Spike Centaury Spinifex Storkbill (Erodum cygnorum) Striped Mint Bush Sturt’s Desert Pea Sturt’s Desert Rose Tall Saltbush Tangled Leschenaultia Tar Vine Tribulus eichlerianus Upside-down Plant Urodon dasyphylla Variable Daisy Waratah (Telopea) Wertabona Daisy White Cedar (Melia azedarach) White Indigo White Paper Daisy Wild Passionfruit Wild Stock Woolly-Headed Burr Daisy Woolly Bush Yellow-keeled Swainsona