Wonderberry "Sunberry" (Solanum retroflexum, formerly Solanum × burbankii) Seeds – Luther Burbank Heirloom, Prolific Dark Purple Berries, Great for Jams & Pies

Minimum: 15+ Seeds

Burbank's Most Debated Introduction

Few plants divide gardeners quite like this one. Luther Burbank introduced Wonderberry in 1909, marketing it as a cross between a European huckleberry and an American nightshade, and it's been prized, dismissed, and argued over ever since. What's certain is that the plant produces heavy clusters of small, dark purple berries on a fast, prolific bush, turning from bitter and inedible to genuinely good once fully ripe and cooked into jam, pie, or preserves. This is old-school garden history, not a modern hybrid, and it rewards gardeners willing to grow it properly and pick patiently.

Who Grows Wonderberry?
The heirloom gardener interested in a genuine Luther Burbank introduction.
The home preserver wanting a prolific berry crop for jams and pies.
The adventurous gardener curious about an unusual fruiting nightshade.
The heirloom seed saver preserving a piece of early 20th-century plant breeding.

What This Debated Heirloom Actually Is
Solanum burbankii, called wonderberry, sunberry, or garden huckleberry, is an annual nightshade closely related to black nightshade, introduced by breeder Luther Burbank in the early 1900s. Plants grow bushy and upright, 1 to 2 feet tall, producing small white flowers followed by round berries ripening from green to deep, dark purple. Unripe berries are bitter and, like many nightshade fruits, contain solanine and other compounds unsafe to eat; only fully ripe, dark purple berries should be harvested, always cooked before eating. Cooked into jam, pie filling, or preserves with sugar, ripe berries develop a mild, distinctive flavor many find genuinely good, while others find underwhelming, a divide that has followed the plant since Burbank's introduction. Grown as a warm-season annual, producing heavily and quickly from seed.

In the Kitchen & Garden

• Wonderberry jam: Cook fully ripe berries with sugar and lemon juice for a classic, distinctive preserve.
• Wonderberry pie: Use ripe, cooked berries in a pie filling, often with lemon for brightness.
• Preserves and syrups: Cook ripe berries into syrups for pancakes or baked goods.
• Heirloom growing project: Grow to experience a genuine, debated piece of Burbank's breeding legacy.
• Pollinator support: Let plants flower fully through summer for a steady nectar source for bees.
• Ornamental fruiting plant: Grow for its heavy clusters of dark berries as an edible-ornamental accent.

Growing Wonderberry Seeds

• Start method: Start indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost; direct sowing works in warm climates.
• Germination: Sprouts in 7-14 days in warm soil.
• Soil temperature: Best 70-80°F.
• Transplanting: Move outdoors after frost danger passes and soil has warmed.
• Spacing: Space plants 18-24 inches apart for full bushy growth.
• Sunlight: Full sun.
• Soil: Rich, well-drained soil with fertility supports heavy fruiting.
• Watering: Consistent moisture through the season.
• Growth rate: Fast-growing and prolific, producing large quantities from one planting.
• Harvest: Pick only fully ripe, dark purple berries; unripe fruit should not be eaten.
• Preparation note: Always cook ripe berries before eating; do not eat raw in quantity.
• Hardiness: Grown as a warm-season annual; killed by frost.

Before You Close This Page
This is Luther Burbank's most argued-over introduction, still dividing gardeners more than a century later. Wonderberry produces heavy clusters of dark purple berries on a fast, easy plant, but only fully ripe fruit, always cooked, delivers the good flavor the name promises. Skip unripe berries entirely and cook what you harvest into jam, pie, or preserves. It's a genuine piece of American plant breeding history, grown by gardeners curious enough to judge it themselves. Grow the berry that has argued for its own reputation since 1909.