The tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum ) is a flowering plant of the nightshade family, extensively cultivated for its edible fruit. While often labeled a vegetable for nutritional purposes, tomatoes are botanically fruits, specifically berries, varying in size from 1.5 to 7.5 cm (0.6 to 3 inches) or more. The wild tomato originated in the Andes Mountains of South America, mainly in Peru and Ecuador, and was likely first domesticated in pre-Columbian Mexico. The name "tomato" comes from the Náhuatl (Aztec) word tomatl . Though the fruits are typically red, scarlet, or yellow, green and purple varieties exist. Each tomato contains at least two cells of small seeds surrounded by a jellylike pulp. Tomatoes are a good source of vitamin C and the phytochemical lycopene.

Why is a tomato considered a fruit and not a vegetable?

The classification of a tomato as a fruit rather than a vegetable is based on botanical definitions. Botanically speaking, a fruit is the ripened ovary of a flowering plant that contains seeds. Since tomatoes develop from the flower's ovary and contain seeds, they are, by this definition, a fruit. The term "vegetable," in contrast, has no strict botanical definition. It generally refers to the edible portions of plants, such as roots, stems, or leaves. The classification often relies on culinary usage, where vegetables are typically served as part of a main course or side dish, while fruits are often used in desserts.

What part of the tomato plant do we eat?

The part of the tomato plant that we commonly eat is the fruit. From a botanical perspective, a fruit is defined as a ripened flower ovary that contains seeds, which perfectly describes tomatoes. Although tomatoes are fruits, they are often labeled as vegetables for nutritional purposes. This is because, in the culinary world, the term "fruit" is typically used to describe sweet and fleshy botanical fruits, while "vegetable" is used to indicate a wide variety of plant parts that are not as high in fructose.

How do tomatoes grow?

Tomato plants have branched stems that spread and trail when bearing fruit, though some varieties are more compact. Their hairy, fragrant leaves can grow up to 45 cm long. The yellow flowers have five petals and hang in clusters. The fruits are berries containing small seeds surrounded by pulp and come in various colors and shapes. For proper growth, tomatoes need warm weather and plenty of sunlight and are often grown in greenhouses in colder regions. Staking, tying, or caging helps keep the plant upright and the fruits off the ground. Consistent watering is essential to prevent issues like blossom-end rot and cracking. Crop rotation, fungicides, pesticides, and resistant varieties help manage common pests and diseases.

What nutrients are found in tomatoes?

The tomato is labeled a vegetable for nutritional purposes, but it is botanically a fruit. Tomatoes are a good source of vitamin C and the phytochemical lycopene . Ripe, red tomatoes contain the following nutrients per 100 g: * Energy: 21 kcal * Water: 93.76 g * Carbohydrate: 4.64 g * Vitamin C: 19.1 mg * Thiamin: 0.059 mg * Riboflavin: 0.048 mg * Niacin: 0.628 mg * Vitamin A: 628 IU * Fat: 0.33 g * Protein: 0.85 g

How are tomatoes used in different cuisines around the world?

The tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum ) is a flowering plant widely cultivated for its edible fruit, which is commonly considered a vegetable for nutritional purposes. Tomatoes are consumed in diverse ways across various cuisines: * They are eaten raw in salads or cooked as a vegetable. * Tomatoes are key ingredients in many prepared dishes, and can be pickled. * A large portion of the global tomato crop is processed into canned tomatoes, tomato juice, ketchup, puree, paste, or sun-dried tomatoes. * In Italian gastronomy, tomatoes are used to make robust tomato sauces.

Tomato

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Cluster of tomatoes on the vine, with one red tomato showing dark, sunken blossom-end rot, surrounded by healthy green and orange tomatoes and green leaves.

Tomato leaves puckered and blistered by the tobacco mosaic virus.

At a Glance

tomato summary

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Related Topics:: tabbouleh; Vegetable; Is a Tomato a Fruit or a Vegetable?; Why Are Tomatoes Red?; fruit

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Tomato

fruit

Also known as: Lycopersicon esculentum, Lycopersicon pimpinelli folium, Solanum esculentum, Solanum lycopersicum, pomodoro(Show More)

Written and fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 4, 2026 •History

Top Questions

What is a tomato?
The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is a flowering plant of the nightshade family, extensively cultivated for its edible fruit. While often labeled a vegetable for nutritional purposes, tomatoes are botanically fruits, specifically berries, varying in size from 1.5 to 7.5 cm (0.6 to 3 inches) or more.

The wild tomato originated in the Andes Mountains of South America, mainly in Peru and Ecuador, and was likely first domesticated in pre-Columbian Mexico. The name "tomato" comes from the Náhuatl (Aztec) word tomatl.

Though the fruits are typically red, scarlet, or yellow, green and purple varieties exist. Each tomato contains at least two cells of small seeds surrounded by a jellylike pulp. Tomatoes are a good source of vitamin C and the phytochemical lycopene.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Why is a tomato considered a fruit and not a vegetable?
The classification of a tomato as a fruit rather than a vegetable is based on botanical definitions. Botanically speaking, a fruit is the ripened ovary of a flowering plant that contains seeds. Since tomatoes develop from the flower's ovary and contain seeds, they are, by this definition, a fruit.

The term "vegetable," in contrast, has no strict botanical definition. It generally refers to the edible portions of plants, such as roots, stems, or leaves. The classification often relies on culinary usage, where vegetables are typically served as part of a main course or side dish, while fruits are often used in desserts.
6 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What part of the tomato plant do we eat?
The part of the tomato plant that we commonly eat is the fruit. From a botanical perspective, a fruit is defined as a ripened flower ovary that contains seeds, which perfectly describes tomatoes.

Although tomatoes are fruits, they are often labeled as vegetables for nutritional purposes. This is because, in the culinary world, the term "fruit" is typically used to describe sweet and fleshy botanical fruits, while "vegetable" is used to indicate a wide variety of plant parts that are not as high in fructose.
4 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How do tomatoes grow?
Tomato plants have branched stems that spread and trail when bearing fruit, though some varieties are more compact. Their hairy, fragrant leaves can grow up to 45 cm long. The yellow flowers have five petals and hang in clusters. The fruits are berries containing small seeds surrounded by pulp and come in various colors and shapes.

For proper growth, tomatoes need warm weather and plenty of sunlight and are often grown in greenhouses in colder regions. Staking, tying, or caging helps keep the plant upright and the fruits off the ground. Consistent watering is essential to prevent issues like blossom-end rot and cracking. Crop rotation, fungicides, pesticides, and resistant varieties help manage common pests and diseases.
1 Britannica Source
1. tomato: Physical description and cultivation
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What nutrients are found in tomatoes?
The tomato is labeled a vegetable for nutritional purposes, but it is botanically a fruit. Tomatoes are a good source of vitamin C and the phytochemical lycopene.

Ripe, red tomatoes contain the following nutrients per 100 g:
* Energy: 21 kcal
* Water: 93.76 g
* Carbohydrate: 4.64 g
* Vitamin C: 19.1 mg
* Thiamin: 0.059 mg
* Riboflavin: 0.048 mg
* Niacin: 0.628 mg
* Vitamin A: 628 IU
* Fat: 0.33 g
* Protein: 0.85 g
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How are tomatoes used in different cuisines around the world?
The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is a flowering plant widely cultivated for its edible fruit, which is commonly considered a vegetable for nutritional purposes.

Tomatoes are consumed in diverse ways across various cuisines:
* They are eaten raw in salads or cooked as a vegetable.
* Tomatoes are key ingredients in many prepared dishes, and can be pickled.
* A large portion of the global tomato crop is processed into canned tomatoes, tomato juice, ketchup, puree, paste, or sun-dried tomatoes.
* In Italian gastronomy, tomatoes are used to make robust tomato sauces.
2 Britannica Sources
1. tomato
2. gastronomy: Latin American
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Tomato, (Solanum lycopersicum), flowering plant of the nightshade family (Solanaceae), cultivated extensively for its edible fruits. Labelled as a vegetable for nutritional purposes, tomatoes are a good source of vitamin C and the phytochemical lycopene. The fruits are commonly eaten raw in salads, served as a cooked vegetable, used as an ingredient of various prepared dishes, and pickled. Additionally, a large percentage of the world’s tomato crop is used for processing; products include canned tomatoes, tomato juice, ketchup, puree, paste, and “sun-dried” tomatoes or dehydrated pulp.

Physical description and cultivation

Tomato plants are generally much branched, spreading 60–180 cm (24–72 inches) and somewhat trailing when fruiting, but a few forms are compact and upright. Leaves are more or less hairy, strongly odorous, pinnately compound, and up to 45 cm (18 inches) long. The five-petaled flowers are yellow, 2 cm (0.8 inch) across, pendant, and clustered. Fruits are berries that vary in diameter from 1.5 to 7.5 cm (0.6 to 3 inches) or more. They are usually red, scarlet, or yellow, though green and purple varieties do exist, and they vary in shape from almost spherical to oval and elongate to pear-shaped. Each fruit contains at least two cells of small seeds surrounded by jellylike pulp.

The plant requires relatively warm weather and much sunlight; it is grown chiefly in hothouses in cooler climates. Tomatoes are usually staked, tied, or caged to keep the stems and fruits off the ground, and consistent watering is necessary to avoid blossom-end rot and cracking of the fruits. The plants are susceptible to a number of pests and diseases, including bacterial wilt, early blight, mosaic virus, Fusarium wilt, nematodes, and tomato hornworms. Many of these problems can be controlled with crop rotation, the use of fungicides and pesticides, and the planting of resistant varieties. The tiny currant tomato (S. pimpinellifolium) is a closely related species and has been used by breeders to hybridize several pest- and disease-resistant tomato varieties.

Chef tossing vegetables in a frying pan over a burner (skillet, food).

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History

The wild species originated in the Andes Mountains of South America, probably mainly in Peru and Ecuador, and is thought to have been domesticated in pre-Columbian Mexico; its name is derived from the Náhuatl (Aztec) word tomatl. The tomato was introduced to Europe by the Spanish in the early 16th century, and the Spanish and Italians seem to have been the first Europeans to adopt it as a food. In France and northern Europe the tomato was initially grown as an ornamental plant and was regarded with suspicion as a food because botanists recognized it as a relative of the poisonous belladonna and deadly nightshade. Indeed, the roots and leaves of the tomato plant are poisonous and contain the neurotoxin solanine.

The Italians called the tomato pomodoro (“golden apple”), which has given rise to speculation that the first tomatoes known to Europeans were yellow. It has been suggested that the French called it pomme d’amour (“love apple”) because it was thought to have aphrodisiacal properties. Some scholars assert, however, that the tomato was at first taken to be a kind of eggplant, of which it is a close relative. The eggplant was called pomme des Mours (“apple of the Moors”) because it was a favourite vegetable of the Arabs, and pomodoro and pomme d’amour may be corruptions of that name.

Tomatoes were introduced to North America from Europe. Thomas Jefferson is known to have raised them at Monticello in 1781. The tomato was used for food in Louisiana as early as 1812, but not in the northeastern states until about 1835. It did not attain widespread popularity in the United States until the early 20th century. The plant is now grown commercially throughout the world.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

This article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.

Tomato

Physical description and cultivation

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