Tomato
Solanum lycopersicum
The Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is one of the most important food plants in human history — a member of the Solanaceae that evolved from tiny, toxic berries in the Andes to become the world's most widely consumed fruit, with global production exceeding 186 million tonnes annually. Botanically a berry, culinarily a vegetable, the tomato is the single most popular garden plant in the world.
• Global production exceeds 186 million tonnes annually — making it the most produced "vegetable" (botanically a fruit) in the world
• Botanically a berry (fruit), legally a vegetable in the United States (Nix v. Hedden, 1893 Supreme Court ruling)
• Native to the Andes but first domesticated in Mexico — the word "tomato" comes from the Nahuatl "tomatl"
• Europeans initially believed tomatoes were POISONOUS and grew them only as ornamentals for over 200 years
• China produces over 35% of the world's tomatoes — approximately 65 million tonnes annually
• Over 10,000 known cultivars ranging from tiny currant tomatoes to 1+ kg beefsteaks
Taxonomy
• Wild tomato ancestors still grow in the Andes, producing tiny, green, bitter fruits the size of peas
• First domesticated in Mexico by the Aztecs and other Mesoamerican peoples — the earliest evidence of cultivation dates to approximately 500 BCE
• Spanish conquistadors encountered the domesticated tomato in Mexico and brought it to Europe in the early 1500s
• Europeans initially grew tomatoes as ornamental plants, fearing they were poisonous due to their relationship to deadly nightshade
• Italian herbalist Pietro Andrea Matthioli first described the tomato in 1544, calling it "pomo d'oro" (golden apple)
• Tomatoes were not widely eaten in Europe until the 18th century
• Thomas Jefferson grew tomatoes at Monticello, helping popularize them in America
• The species was reclassified from Lycopersicon esculentum to Solanum lycopersicum based on molecular evidence
• The genus Solanum contains approximately 1,500 to 2,000 species, including potatoes, eggplants, and many nightshades
Plant:
• Erect to sprawling, 60 to 200 cm tall (indeterminate varieties much taller with support)
• Green, hairy, glandular stems with a distinctive tomato scent
• Two growth habits: determinate (bush, all fruit ripens together) and indeterminate (vine, continuous production)
Leaves:
• Compound, pinnate, 15 to 40 cm long
• Divided into 5 to 9 large and small leaflets ("regular leaf" type) or broader, less divided ("potato leaf" type)
• Green, with fine hairs and a characteristic strong tomato scent when brushed
Flowers:
• Small, yellow, 1 to 2 cm across
• Five pointed petals curving backward
• Self-pollinating — the flowers curl around their own anthers
Fruit (botanically a berry):
• Extremely variable: 1 cm (currant tomatoes) to 15+ cm (beefsteaks)
• Colors: red (most common), yellow, orange, green, purple, black, striped, or bicolor
• Shapes: round, oblate, elongated, pear-shaped, ribbed, or flattened
• Weight: from 1 gram to over 1 kg
• Fleshy interior with seed-filled gelatinous locular cavities
Seeds:
• Small, flat, teardrop-shaped, pale tan, 2 to 4 mm
• Each fruit contains 50 to 300+ seeds
• Covered in a gel sac containing germination inhibitors
Per 100 g raw red tomato:
• Energy: approximately 18 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 3.9 g (including 1.2 g fiber)
• Protein: 0.9 g
• Vitamin C: 13.7 mg (23% DV)
• Vitamin A: 833 IU
• Vitamin K: 7.9 mcg
• Potassium: 237 mg
• Folate: 15 mcg
Key phytochemicals:
• Lycopene — the most powerful dietary carotenoid antioxidant; tomato is the primary dietary source. Cooking and adding oil increase lycopene bioavailability
• Beta-carotene (provitamin A)
• Lutein and zeaxanthin — important for eye health
• Naringenin — a flavonoid with anti-inflammatory properties
• Chlorogenic acid — antioxidant
• Regular tomato consumption is strongly associated with reduced risk of prostate cancer, cardiovascular disease, and oxidative stress
• Processed tomatoes (sauce, paste) contain MORE bioavailable lycopene than raw tomatoes
Planting:
• Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before last frost
• Germination at 21 to 27°C in 5 to 10 days
• Transplant after all frost danger when soil reaches 15°C
• Bury seedlings deep — stems buried below the first leaves will develop roots
Site:
• Full sun — minimum 6 to 8 hours
• Well-drained, fertile soil, pH 6.0 to 6.8
• Consistent moisture — 2.5 to 4 cm per week
Care:
• Stake, cage, or trellis plants (especially indeterminate varieties)
• Mulch heavily to retain moisture and prevent blossom-end rot
• Side-dress with compost or calcium-rich fertilizer when fruits begin to form
• Remove lower leaves as plant grows to improve air circulation
Harvest:
• Harvest when fruits are fully colored but still firm
• Can be picked at the "breaker" stage (first blush of color) and will ripen indoors
• Indeterminate varieties produce until frost
• Determinate varieties ripen most fruit within a 2 to 3 week window
• Raw: salads (Caprese, Greek, garden), sandwiches, BLT, salsas
• Cooked: pasta sauces, pizza sauce, tomato soup, stews, braises
• Processed: canned tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, ketchup, tomato juice, sun-dried tomatoes
• In cuisines worldwide: Italian (pasta, pizza), Mexican (salsa, tacos), Indian (curry base), Spanish (gazpacho), Middle Eastern (shakshuka)
• Fried green tomatoes — Southern US classic
• Tomato jam and chutney
• Bruschetta — diced tomato with basil on toasted bread
• Bloody Mary cocktail — tomato juice based
Other uses:
• Tomato juice as a natural cleaning agent (removes odors)
• Lycopene extracted for dietary supplements
• Companion planting — tomatoes interplanted with basil and marigolds
Fun Fact
In 1893, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Nix v. Hedden that the tomato is legally a vegetable, not a fruit, for purposes of tariff taxation — despite the unanimous agreement of all parties that the tomato is botanically a fruit. The ruling stands to this day, making the tomato one of the few organisms on Earth with a legally defined identity different from its biological one.
Learn more
