Solanum Indicum, Vanabhanta - 0.5 kg Seeds

Solanum indicum, called Brihati or Vanabhanta (Solanum indicum), is a prickly perennial undershrub of the nightshade family, not a tree, grown mainly for its important place in Ayurvedic medicine. It is one of the Dashamula group of ten roots, the root being used for cough, asthma, fever and digestive complaints.

The plant bears bluish-purple star-shaped flowers and small round berries that turn yellow when ripe, on stems armed with sharp prickles. It occurs naturally as a weed of wastelands, hedgerows and forest clearings across the plains of India and is collected and cultivated for the herbal trade.

• Family: Solanaceae
• Native region: tropical Asia, common throughout India
• Mature height: 1–1.5 m
• Growth rate: moderate

Sowing the seed: soak the seeds in water for several hours, then surface-sow or barely cover in a seed tray of moist, well-drained mix and keep warm. Germination is often uneven, taking around 14–21 days. Prick out and transplant the seedlings to the field once 8–10 cm tall, spacing them generously as the prickly bushes spread.