Solanum glaucophyllum (waxyleaf nightshade, "Ruriyanagi")

Japanese name: ルリヤナギ （瑠璃柳）
Scientific name: Solanum glaucophyllum

[Overview]
An evergreen shrub 1–2 m tall.
It spreads by underground stems.
The whole plant is covered with a whitish bloom and looks bluish green.
The stem is erect, not much branched, soft, and hairless.
The leaves are simple and alternate, oblong to lanceolate, about 10–15 cm long, with entire margins.
Cymes arise at the top of the stem, bearing many flowers.
The corolla is pale purple, 2–2.5 cm across, star-shaped with 5 lobes; the flowers have long stalks and open sideways to downward.
The fruit is elliptic to spherical, about 1 cm long, and ripens blackish purple.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed, by cuttings, or by division.
It can overwinter outdoors in areas without frost.
Frost kills the aboveground parts, but if the roots do not freeze it will sprout again the following year.
It prefers a sunny, well-drained, fertile soil that retains moisture well.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient unless summer brings a long spell of sunny weather and the soil becomes severely dry.
If base fertilizer is applied, no further fertilizing is particularly necessary, but for potted plants, slow-release fertilizer may be placed on the soil from spring to autumn, depending on how the plant is growing.
There are no particular pests or diseases.

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