Photographed in Sydney Sussex College, Cambridge.
Solanum crispum (crispum means “closely curled”) – common names include Chilean potato vine, Chilean nightshade, Chilean potato tree and potato vine. Native to Chile and Peru.
Grows to 6 m (20 ft) tall, semi-evergreen, woody-stemmed climbing plant. Flowers resemble those of the potato, to which it is closely related.
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David, I wonder how you find out names of flowers. Any tips?
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For this one, I know this flower because it is the same or very similar to nightshades and potatoes (they are all the same family). But I didn’t know there was a climbing bush in the plant family. I know the gardener at the College, so I asked him which Solanum it was. So, learning families of plants helps to narrow down individual species. I have some wild flower guides. They teach how to look at plants – how the leaves are arranged, whether the flowers are individual or collections, that kind of thing. I think ‘looking and seeing’ are very hard. I try to wake myself out of a daze and to concentrate when I look. I think it starts with love, building love. I hope this helps!
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