Ornamental fruits

We are still enjoying the last weeks of summer but the leaves are already starting to fall from the trees. Autumn is making it’s appearance and it also shows in our trade! To celebrate our last holiday edition, we wanted to share something about the beautiful fruits that you see in this colorful autumn period. A subject we discussed with Gerard and Gertjan van Alphen, joint owner of Boa Flora nursery.

They are responsible for a diverse range of products in both the Netherlands and Portugal. Leucadendron, Protea and ornamental fruit are grown specifically in Portugal; including eight varieties of Cucumis and two varieties of Solanum, as well as bell peppers. Gertjan manages this cultivation in Portugal. The two brothers started growing the crop some 15 years ago, when they somehow stumbled upon it and became inspired by this cultivation. They were one of the first growers to grow ornamental fruit for the market.

The Cucumis ornamental fruit, the original name of this crop, grows like a pumpkin with long tendrils snaking across the ground. The Solanum, also grown by the brothers, is an ornamental tomato. These tomatoes grow on a shrub and therefore have a completely different growth plan. The plants are planted in corn foil in rows of about a meter wide. The corn film dissolves in the soil after a while. When the flowers in the crop are pollinated, small fruits grow on them and these freaky fruits are very popular among florists who use them in arrangements! The Portugese climate is much warmer and sunnier and it is a lot drier; circumstances in which this ornamental fruit feels very comfortable! The Dutch-grown ornamental fruit develops a bit slower and will only find its way to the market place when the season is already in full swing. Portugal is therefore the perfect place to grow this crop.

The biggest challenge is to grow a nice hard ornamental fruit that has a special color and a high decorative value. Some varieties can be dried after which you can keep them for months. The Solanum, on the other hand, is a bit more fragile and has a shorter shelf life. With the Cucumis, the browner varieties have the longest shelf life, but the greener varieties are much more sought after.