Solanum aviculare (Kangaroo Apple)

Kangaroo apple is a great-looking bush food plant. The soft, big leaves and the bright red bush tomatoes look a bit like out of a rainforest. It grows very fast, maybe to 2 meters in the first year.

The ripe fruit of kangaroo apple is edible when fully mature, typically turning yellow-orange to orange when ready to eat. It is important to note that the unripe green berries are poisonous and should never be eaten, as they contain toxic solanine-type compounds typical of the Solanaceae family. When fully ripe, the fruit can be used in modern bush food cuisine, in sauces, reductions, and desserts. The fruit is also valued for its vitamin content, particularly vitamin C and other antioxidant compounds, contributing to its nutritional interest in bush food systems.

Bush Food Use & Culinary Applications

Kangaroo apple is typically not eaten raw in large quantities but is instead cooked.

• Ripe fruit used in jams, chutneys, and sauces
• Flavouring for bush food desserts and syrups

Like many bush foods, it contributes both flavour and nutritional value, with naturally occurring vitamins and antioxidant compounds supporting its reputation as a functional native food plant.

Traditional Medicinal Use & Phytochemistry

Solanum aviculare has a history in bush medicine. The plant has attracted scientific interest because it contains steroidal alkaloids and related compounds typical of the Solanaceae family.

These compounds have been studied for potential pharmaceutical applications, particularly in the development of steroid-based precursors. 

Growing Conditions

Kangaroo apple is a fast-growing, short-lived perennial shrub that performs well in a range of Australian climates, particularly in warmer regions.

• Sunlight: Full sun to light shade (best flowering and fruiting in full sun)
• Soil: Prefers well-draining soil but is adaptable to most soil types
• Water: Moderate water needs; benefits from regular watering during establishment
• Growth habit: Fast-growing shrub, often short-lived but highly productive
• Frost tolerance: Light frost tolerant; may be damaged or die back in heavy frost, but often reshoots in spring in milder climates

It is best treated as a productive, fast-cycle bush tucker shrub rather than a long-term structural plant, because it is not very long-lived.