Solanum lycopersicum

Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) — a South American native once feared in Europe as a nightshade, now grown everywhere from cherry to beefsteak. The botanical home of our tomato range.

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  • Tomato Pyros F1 seeds (Solanum lycopersicum) – annual vegetable Tomato Pyros F1 (Solanum lycopersicum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    20%
    Tomato Pyros F1 Seeds Solanum Lycopersicum Annual Variety
    €5,56€6,95

    Tomato Pyros F1 for reliable garden harvests tomato pyros f1 seeds are an annual vegetable variety valued for producing uniform, round fruits suited to everyday kitchen use. This mid early tomato variety is commonly chosen...
  • Tomato Saint Pierre seeds (Solanum lycopersicum) – annual vegetable Tomato Saint Pierre (Solanum lycopersicum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    20%
    Tomato Saint Pierre Seeds Solanum Lycopersicum Annual
    €3,96€4,95

    Classic French tomato for gardens and greenhouses tomato saint pierre seeds are a popular choice for growers looking for a dependable, traditional tomato for the annual vegetable garden. Known as the Saint Pierre tomato variety,...
  • Tomato Roma Vf seeds (Solanum lycopersicum) – annual vegetable Tomato Roma Vf (Solanum lycopersicum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Tomato Roma Vf Seeds Solanum Lycopersicum Annual Variety
    €4,95

    Roma VF tomato seeds for kitchen gardens tomato roma vf seeds are an annual vegetable garden choice valued for producing firm-fleshed, oval fruits with a classic Roma look. This variety is widely known as a...
  • Tomato Moneymaker seeds (Solanum lycopersicum) – annual vegetable Tomato Moneymaker (Solanum lycopersicum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Tomato Moneymaker Seeds Solanum Lycopersicum Annual Variety
    €4,95

    Classic Moneymaker tomato seeds for reliable harvests tomato moneymaker seeds are a popular choice for gardeners who want a classic, widely grown tomato type for home cultivation. This moneymaker tomato variety seeds selection is known...
  • Yellow Pear Cherry Tomato seeds (Solanum lycopersicum) – annual vegetable Yellow Pear Cherry Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Yellow Pear Cherry Tomato Seeds Solanum Lycopersicum Annual Variety
    €4,95

    Yellow pear cherry tomatoes for garden harvests yellow pear cherry tomato seeds are an annual vegetable variety valued for producing small, bright yellow, pear-shaped fruits. This pear shaped cherry tomato variety is a popular choice...
  • Vine Tomato Serrat F1 Red seeds (Solanum lycopersicum) – annual vegetable Vine Tomato Serrat F1 Red (Solanum lycopersicum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    20%
    Vine Tomato Serrat F1 Red Seeds Solanum Lycopersicum Annual
    €5,56€6,95

    Vine tomato seeds for truss harvests Vine tomato seeds Serrat F1 are an annual vegetable choice for gardeners who want neat, uniform trusses on vigorous vine plants. This early tomato variety is valued for its...
  • Snack Tomato Dattolime F1 seeds (Solanum lycopersicum) – annual vegetable Snack Tomato Dattolime F1 (Solanum lycopersicum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Snack Tomato Seeds Dattolime F1 Solanum Lycopersicum Annual
    €6,95

    Snack tomato seeds for pale yellow fruits Snack tomato seeds Dattolime F1 are an annual vegetable choice for gardeners who want small, attractive tomatoes with a distinctive white-yellow tone. This F1 variety is known for...
  • Vine Tomato Serrat F1 seeds (Solanum lycopersicum) – annual vegetable Vine Tomato Serrat F1 (Solanum lycopersicum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    20%
    Vine Tomato Seeds Serrat F1 Solanum Lycopersicum Annual
    €5,56€6,95

    Serrat F1 vine tomato seeds for trusses Vine tomato seeds Serrat F1 are an annual vegetable variety selected for producing neat, uniform trusses with firm-fleshed fruits. This is a classic cluster type that sets multiple...
  • Cocktail Tomato Ravello F1 seeds (Solanum lycopersicum) – annual vegetable Cocktail Tomato Ravello F1 (Solanum lycopersicum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    20%
    Cocktail Tomato Seeds Ravello F1 Solanum Lycopersicum Annual
    €5,56€6,95

    Ravello F1 cocktail tomatoes for compact clusters cocktail tomato seeds Ravello F1 are a specialty annual tomato variety valued for neat trusses of small, plum-shaped red fruits. This selection is suited to gardeners looking for...
  • Tomato Moneymaker seeds (Solanum lycopersicum) – annual vegetable Tomato Moneymaker (Solanum lycopersicum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Tomato Moneymaker Seeds Solanum Lycopersicum Annual
    €4,95

    Classic Moneymaker tomato for reliable garden harvests tomato moneymaker seeds are a popular choice for growers who want a dependable, traditional tomato for the kitchen garden. This moneymaker tomato variety is known for producing attractive,...
  • Tomato Mixed Colours Mix seeds (Solanum lycopersicum) – annual vegetable Tomato Mixed Colours Mix (Solanum lycopersicum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Tomato Mixed Colours Seeds Solanum Lycopersicum Annual Mix
    €4,95

    Tomato colour mix for vibrant kitchen harvests tomato mixed colours seeds offer an annual mix of classic and well-known types selected for varied fruit colours and a reliable garden presence. This mixed colour tomato variety...
  • Bush Tomato Maja seeds (Solanum lycopersicum) – annual vegetable Bush Tomato Maja (Solanum lycopersicum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Bush Tomato Seeds Maja Solanum Lycopersicum Annual Variety
    €5,95

    Compact annual tomato variety for patios bush tomato seeds ‘Maja’ are a compact, determinate tomato option suited to small spaces where a tidy plant habit matters. This balcony tomato variety forms a neat, low-growing plant...
  • Cherry Tomato Sweetie seeds (Solanum lycopersicum) – organic annual vegetable Cherry Tomato Sweetie (Solanum lycopersicum) – organic annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Cherry Tomato Sweetie Seeds Organic Solanum Lycopersicum Annual
    €5,95

    Organic Sweetie cherry tomatoes for garden harvests cherry tomato sweetie seeds are an organic, annual vegetable choice for growers who enjoy abundant clusters of small, sweet-tasting cherry tomatoes. This mini tomato variety is known for...
  • Tomato Ace 55 Vf seeds (Solanum lycopersicum) – organic annual vegetable Tomato Ace 55 Vf (Solanum lycopersicum) – organic annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    20%
    Tomato Ace 55 Vf Seeds Organic Solanum Lycopersicum Annual
    €3,96€4,95

    Organic tomato seeds for classic garden harvests tomato ace 55 vf seeds are an organic choice for growers looking for a dependable, traditional-style tomato in the vegetable garden. This Ace 55 VF tomato variety is...
  • Tomato Saint Pierre seeds (Solanum lycopersicum) – annual vegetable Tomato Saint Pierre (Solanum lycopersicum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Tomato Saint Pierre Seeds Solanum Lycopersicum Annual Variety
    €4,45

    French heirloom tomato for garden and glass Tomato Saint Pierre Seeds are a classic choice for growers who want a time-tested, productive tomato for the kitchen garden. Known as the saint pierre tomato variety, this...
  • Dwarf Cherry Tomato Tiny Tim seeds (Solanum lycopersicum) – annual vegetable Dwarf Cherry Tomato Tiny Tim (Solanum lycopersicum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    20%
    Dwarf Cherry Tomato Seeds Solanum Lycopersicum Tiny Tim Annual
    €3,96€4,95

    Compact patio cherry tomatoes for small spaces dwarf cherry tomato seeds are a great choice when you want a neat, productive tomato variety without taking over the garden. ‘Tiny Tim’ is a compact annual type...
  • Cherry Tomato Modus F1 Mini Plum seeds (Solanum lycopersicum) – annual vegetable Cherry Tomato Modus F1 Mini Plum (Solanum lycopersicum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Cherry Tomato Seeds Solanum Lycopersicum Annual Modus F1 Mini Plum
    €6,95

    Modus F1 cherry tomatoes for truss harvesting cherry tomato seeds for Modus F1 produce attractive, uniform mini plum fruits with a bright red finish. This annual vegetable garden variety is known for its climbing growth...
  • Tomato Fadango F1 seeds (Solanum lycopersicum) – annual vegetable Tomato Fadango F1 (Solanum lycopersicum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    20%
    Tomato Fadango F1 Seeds Solanum Lycopersicum Annual
    €5,56€6,95

    Tomato Fadango F1 seeds for big harvests tomato fadango f1 seeds are a reliable choice for gardeners looking for a vigorous, mid season tomato plant with consistently large, meaty fruits. This beefsteak tomato variety is...
  • Tomato Roma Vf seeds (Solanum lycopersicum) – organic annual vegetable Tomato Roma Vf (Solanum lycopersicum) – organic annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Tomato Roma Vf Seeds Organic Solanum Lycopersicum Annual
    €4,95

    Organic Roma VF tomato seeds for gardens tomato roma vf seeds are an organic choice for growers looking for a reliable, classic Roma type in the annual vegetable garden. This is a paste tomato variety...
  • Cherry Tomato Dolly F1 seeds (Solanum lycopersicum) – annual vegetable Cherry Tomato Dolly F1 (Solanum lycopersicum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Cherry Tomato Dolly F1 Seeds Solanum Lycopersicum Annual
    €6,95

    Cherry tomato Dolly F1 for compact harvests cherry tomato dolly f1 seeds are an annual vegetable variety valued for their neat, mini plum-shaped fruits that form in attractive clusters. This is a modern F1 hybrid...
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Solanum lycopersicum — the tomato

Solanum lycopersicum is the botanical name for the tomato, a tender perennial in the nightshade family (Solanaceae) grown the world over as an annual. From tiny cherries to giant beefsteaks, it is the species behind our entire tomato range, including our sweet cherry tomatoes, within the fruiting vegetable collection.

History & origin

The tomato originated in western South America, along the Andes, and was first domesticated further north in Mesoamerica — the word “tomato” comes from the Nahuatl tomatl. Spanish explorers carried it to Europe in the 16th century, but for a long time it was grown only as a curiosity or ornamental: as a member of the nightshade family it was widely suspected of being poisonous. It took until the 18th and 19th centuries for the tomato to be fully embraced across European and Mediterranean cooking, where it is now central.

Its species name, lycopersicum, means “wolf peach” — a trace of those old suspicions about the handsome but mistrusted fruit.

Botanical characteristics

Botanically the tomato is a fruit — a berry — though we treat it as a vegetable in the kitchen. Plants grow in two main forms: indeterminate “cordon” types that climb and crop over a long season and need staking and side-shooting, and bush “determinate” types that stay compact and crop in a flush. Fruit ranges from pea-sized to over a kilogram, in red, pink, yellow, orange, green, purple and striped. Compact and trailing varieties do beautifully in our container range.

Growing Solanum lycopersicum from seed

Sow indoors in early spring for the longest season, keeping seedlings warm and bright. Pot on, harden off, then grow on in a greenhouse, against a warm wall or in the sunniest spot you have. Cordon types need a cane and regular side-shooting; all tomatoes want steady, even watering to prevent splitting and a high-potash feed once fruiting. Our vegetable sowing calendar and plant supports guide cover the details.

Ready to grow tomatoes? Browse the varieties or learn the basics first.

Related categories: Tomato · Cherry Tomato · Sweet Peppers · Container Veg · Fruiting Veg

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Solanum lycopersicum?
It is the botanical name for the tomato, a tender plant in the nightshade family.

Where do tomatoes originate?
From western South America, and they were first domesticated in Mesoamerica.

Why is it called “wolf peach”?
Lycopersicum means wolf peach, reflecting old European fears that the fruit was poisonous.

Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable?
Botanically it is a fruit (a berry), but it is used as a vegetable in the kitchen.

Cordon or bush tomatoes?
Cordon types climb, are staked and crop over a long season; bush types stay compact and crop in a flush.