Hierba mora Solanum nigrum
Hierba mora just harvested from a farmers’ field in El Salvador (Photo by Maria Moreira)
Hierba mora, also called just mora in Central America, is a solanaceous plant that grows wild in many parts of the Americas. In El Salvador hierba mora is used in soups and also as an ingredient in pupusas, the national dishes of El Salvador.
Hierba mora is a weed in many parts of the Americas and can be harvested wild. It is also cultivated. Bunches are made from plants when the plant just begins to flower. The plant will grow back and thus can be maintained as a perennial.
Hierba mora growing in Massachusetts in 2010 (Photo by Frank Mangan) |
Production
For information on production and management of hierba mora, refer to the The New England Vegetable Management Guide and click on "tomatoes". As a solanacious crop, fertility requirements and pests will be similar.
Hierba mora fruit from a plant growing in El Salvador (Photo by Zoraia Barros) |
Seed Sources
The UMass Ethnic Crops Program is evaluating seeds sources of hierba mora for production in Massachusetts in 2010. Results will be made available when the research is completed.
A field of hierba mora growing wilds under a canopy of loroco in El Salvador (Photo by Frank Mangan) |
