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Where do tomatoes come from?

A tomato grows from a tiny seed into a tall plant covered in flowers, and every flower can become a tomato.

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Our drawing of a tomato plant. Can you find the leaves, the flowers, a side-shoot and a truss of tomatoes? Encyclopaedia Britannica: tomato RHS: How to grow tomatoes

From seed to salad

  1. Sow a seed somewhere warm. Tomato seeds need about 18°C (64°F) to germinate: use a heated propagator, or a warm windowsill with a clear plastic bag over the top. RHS: How to grow tomatoes
  2. Seedlings pop up. Seedlings usually appear within a fortnight. Then uncover them and give them as much light as possible, so they don’t grow thin and leggy. RHS: How to grow tomatoes
  3. Give each one its own pot. Once seedlings have a couple of true leaves, move them into their own pots. Hold each one by a leaf, not by the delicate stem. RHS: How to grow tomatoes
  4. Flowers appear. Tomato flowers are yellow, about 2cm across, with five petals, and hang in clusters. Encyclopaedia Britannica: tomato
  5. Flowers become fruit. A truss is a cluster of flowers or fruit growing from the same point on a stem. The word is used a lot for tomatoes. RHS: How to grow tomatoes
  6. Pick them when ripe! Check plants every few days and pick tomatoes one at a time, stalk attached, as soon as they’re ripe and fully coloured. RHS: How to grow tomatoes
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Our drawing of a tomato cut in half. Can you see the seeds? Encyclopaedia Britannica: tomato

Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable?

Botanically, tomato fruits are berries, from 1.5 to 7.5cm across or more. Each has at least two chambers of small seeds in jelly-like pulp. Encyclopaedia Britannica: tomato

In Nix v. Hedden, decided on 10 May 1893, the US Supreme Court held that tomatoes are “vegetables” and not “fruit” under the Tariff Act of 3 March 1883. U.S. Reports, Nix v. Hedden, 149 U.S. 304 (1893), Library of Congress (PDF of the printed opinion) But in everyday language, the court said, they are vegetables: usually served at dinner with the main part of the meal, and not, like fruits generally, as dessert. U.S. Reports, Nix v. Hedden, 149 U.S. 304 (1893), Library of Congress (PDF of the printed opinion)

So: a fruit to scientists, a vegetable in the kitchen. Read the whole court case story.

What is a tomato plant, really?

The tomato’s botanical name is Solanum lycopersicum. It belongs to the nightshade family, Solanaceae. Encyclopaedia Britannica: tomato Kew says tomatoes are in the nightshade family, along with aubergines and peppers. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: Tasty tomatoes (25 October 2019)

Tomato leaves are hairy, strongly scented, made of many leaflets, and up to 45cm (18in) long. Encyclopaedia Britannica: tomato Tomato plants are usually much branched, spreading 60–180cm (24–72in). Encyclopaedia Britannica: tomato

Grow one in a basket

Trailing types can even be grown in windowboxes and hanging baskets. The RHS calls these the easiest type to grow. RHS: How to grow tomatoes Kew says small, tumbling varieties can be grown in a hanging basket or a pot on a balcony. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: Tasty tomatoes (25 October 2019)

Plants in containers dry out quickly and may need watering every day in hot weather. Curling leaves can be a sign of a thirsty plant. RHS: How to grow tomatoes

For grown-ups

Britannica says the roots and leaves of the tomato plant are poisonous. Encyclopaedia Britannica: tomato Eat only the ripe fruit, and keep an eye on little ones in the greenhouse.

Amazing tomato facts

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