Kangaroo-Apple

solanum laciniatum

Kangaroo-Apple (Solanum laciniatum) is a striking, fast-growing shrub native to the temperate regions of southeastern Australia and New Zealand. Belonging to the nightshade family (Solanaceae), this resilient plant is famous for its deeply lobed, dark green leaves that resemble the footprint of a kangaroo. During the warmer months, it produces a profusion of beautiful violet-purple flowers with bright yellow centers, which later develop into egg-shaped berries. While these berries are highly toxic when green, they turn a vibrant orange when fully ripe and split open, at which point they historically served as a traditional food source for Indigenous peoples. Kangaroo-Apple acts as a pioneer species, quickly colonizing disturbed soils, forest margins, and coastal areas, providing vital shelter and food for local wildlife while showcasing the incredible adaptability of the Solanaceae family.

Habitat: Found in coastal areas, wet forest margins, shrublands, and disturbed sites such as roadsides throughout southeastern Australia and New Zealand.

Appearance

Kangaroo-Apple is a large, spreading shrub that typically grows 100 to 400 centimeters tall, featuring smooth, purplish-green stems. Its most distinctive feature is its foliage: the lower leaves are large and deeply divided into 3 to 9 lance-shaped lobes, resembling a kangaroo's footprint, while upper leaves may be simpler and unlobed. It bears clusters of star-shaped, five-lobed flowers that are intense violet or blue-purple, measuring about 3 to 5 cm across, with prominent yellow anthers at the center. The fruit is an oval, berry-like drupe, roughly 2 to 3 cm long, transitioning from a smooth green to a bright yellow-orange as it matures.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderSolanalesFamilySolanaceaeGenusSolanum

Kangaroo-Apple

Interesting facts

Historically, Indigenous Australians used the ripe orange fruits as a food source, but they carefully avoided the green fruits, which are dangerously toxic.

The green, unripe fruits contain high levels of solasodine, a toxic alkaloid used as a base precursor in the manufacture of steroid contraceptives.

The plant's common name comes from the shape of its deeply lobed leaves, which bear a striking resemblance to the three-toed footprint of a kangaroo.

Special abilities

Quickly establishes in disturbed soils, using fast growth to outcompete other plants for sunlight and nutrients after fires or land clearing.

Produces high concentrations of toxic glycoalkaloids, like solasodine, in its unripe fruits and leaves to deter herbivores from consuming them before the seeds are mature.

Produces hardy seeds that can remain dormant in the soil seed bank for years, waiting for a disturbance event to trigger germination.

Measurements & details

Length: 100-400 cm
Lifespan: 5-10 years

Diet & Feeding

As a photoautotrophic plant, the Kangaroo-Apple produces its own food through photosynthesis, utilizing sunlight, carbon dioxide, water, and soil nutrients.

Primary Foods

Sunlight
Carbon dioxide
Water
Soil minerals

Foraging Method

Photosynthesis

Ecological connections

eaten by

Silvereye

Zosterops lateralis

Feeds on the ripe fruit and disperses the seeds across the landscape.

eaten by

Potato Tuber Moth

Phthorimaea operculella

Feeds on the foliage, occasionally causing leaf damage.

mutualism

Large Earth Bumblebee

Bombus terrestris

Visits the violet flowers for pollen collection, facilitating pollination.

Traits

No trait badges are assigned for this object yet.

Also known as

No aliases listed yet.

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Safety

Danger

1/5 · Very low

No special safety notes yet.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to identify Kangaroo-Apple?

The easiest way to identify Kangaroo-Apple is to use the Snappit nature identifier app.

How long is Kangaroo-Apple?

100-400 cm

How long does Kangaroo-Apple live?

5-10 years

What does Kangaroo-Apple eat?

As a photoautotrophic plant, the Kangaroo-Apple produces its own food through photosynthesis, utilizing sunlight, carbon dioxide, water, and soil nutrients.

Where is Kangaroo-Apple usually found?

Found in coastal areas, wet forest margins, shrublands, and disturbed sites such as roadsides throughout southeastern Australia and New Zealand.

How does Kangaroo-Apple hunt?

Photosynthesis