Name: Brazilian potato tree, blue potato tree.

Botanical name: Solanum wrightii (syn: Solanum macranthum).

Description: Related to tomatoes, potatoes and four-o-clocks, as well as chalice vine and yesterday-today-tomorrow, this flowering tree is from Brazil, Peru and Bolivia. It produces clusters of flowers across its wide canopy throughout the year. The flowers open purple and fade to white. It's a fast-growing small tree with large lobed leaves that are sticky with prickles. Highly ornamental, the tree is as wide as it is tall, and is said to be short-lived, meaning 10 or 12 years.

Height: 15 to 20 feet.

Light: Full sun.

Culture: This tree likes moderate moisture or lots of mulch, especially during dry spells. Use a controlled-release fertilizer in spring and fall. Jesse Durko's Nursery in Davie carries the tree.

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