Files

Download

Download Full Text (5.6 MB)

Description

Tomatoes belong to the Solanaceae family, also known as nightshades, which includes the Irish potato, pepper, tomatillo and eggplant. The first wild tomato plant had bright red, cherry-type fruit and is thought to be native to the Andes Mountains region of Peru and Bolivia. Tomatoes spread to South America and Central America by the natural migration of Indigenous peoples. Confined to the Americas for several thousand years, tomatoes were bred and selected for larger fruit that varied greatly in appearance. The plants were likely bred in Mexico beginning with the Aztecs and Toltecs. There it was traditionally companion planted with corn.

Publication Date

11-2021

Publisher

LSU AgCenter

City

Baton Rouge

Sustainable Gardening for School and Home Gardens: Tomato
COinS