The title may sound a little bit Harry Potter, but it’s true! Solanum pimpinellifolium is a small vining shrub from the Andes Mountains of South America. It produces cute yellow flowers, vibrant light green foliage, and a small red berry with a tart flavor. It’s also the ancestor plant of the modern tomato and still grown in both home gardens and commercial agriculture. This little plant has a big history, and it’s one we’d like to explore. So come along with us and dig in as we delve into the story of Solanum pimpinellifolium and the origins of the tomato!
Gardzen Executive Summary:
· Solanum pimpinellifolium is native to the Andes regions of South America.
· This unique little plant is the ancestor of the modern tomato, Solanum lycopersicum.
· Many gardeners still grow Solanum pimpinellifolium as an heirloom varietal, and it’s still used to hybridize new varieties of tomato.
· Seeds of Solanum pimpinellifolium are available and we can grow them in our home gardens!
The Story of Solanum pimpinellifolium
Sometimes referred to as “wild tomato”, “currant tomato”, and in some parts of the American Southeast as “Florida tomato”, Solanum pimpinellifolium starts its journey in the Andes Mountain regions of what is now Peru and Ecuador. It looks very much like a modern tomato plant, with similar leaves and flowers and an indeterminate growth patter. The fruits look like miniature tomatoes, right down to the seeds inside. However, they have a much sharper and more tart flavor.
Solanum pimpinellifolium’s transportation outside of its native range begins long before European colonization of the New World. The Incas and their neighbors made good use of the plant, and it spread along trade routes as far north as the Aztec Empire. It was a popular fruit or vegetable in the Mesoamerican world and a common ingredient in savory sauces—a practice that is still common in the cuisines of contemporary Mexico and Central America.
Aztec farmers began the process of selective breeding that forms the basis for modern tomato cultivars, and European explores and colonizers spread the tomato even further afield. Now, modern tomatoes are grown and enjoyed around the world with thousands of heirloom and commercial varietals available. Solanum pimpinellifolium is still grown as a garden plant, but it’s also become naturalized across the Gulf Coast of the United States, southern Florida, the Caribbean, the Galapagos Islands, parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, and even reportedly some places in central Europe. It still plays a role in the development of its modern tomato descendants, used as a way of enriching the tomato’s genetic pool.
Growing Solanum pimpinellifolium at Home
The answer to the implied question is “yes”: we can grow Solanum pimpinellifolium in our home gardens! Seeds are available from a number of reputable suppliers specializing in heirloom varietals and historical plants. While we’ve never tried to grow it ourselves (though we will next spring), from what we gather Solanum pimpinellifolium can be grown and cultivated much like its modern tomato descendants. As an indeterminate varietal, it does like to vine and climb so a sturdy support or tomato cage is in order to ensure healthy growth. What we read suggests that it will do well in containers with a rich, well drained soil that’s kept moist but not damp. The fruits are small, tart, and much more flavorful than most contemporary tomato varietals. They’re also higher in vitamin C and other antioxidants, making them a useful dietary supplement for those of us looking to make our macros daily.
The only caveat we can find about Solanum pimpinellifolium is that it does like to self-seed and spread when conditions are right. If you live in a warm climate with mild winters, you may want to grow this one in a container rather than have volunteers pop up all over the place in the next growing season. Also check and make sure that you’re not introducing an invasive plant. We can’t find any laws in the US prohibiting Solanum pimpinellifolium, but it pays to ask your local cooperative extension about best practice.
The Once and Future Tomato
Solanum pimpinellifolium has a long history and while traditional cultivation is on the decline due to a preference for contemporary tomato varietals, this plant is still loved by traditional gardeners and farmers in its native range and adventurous gardeners around the world. It also holds an important place in agricultural development, providing fresh genetic material for new strains and varietals of tomatoes. It ready cross-fertilizes with contemporary tomato plants, so by adding it to our gardens and indulging in a little artificial pollination we might just produce our own tomato variety. Regardless, growing historic and heirloom plants is fun and a great way to connect to the history of gardening.
If you’re growing Solanum pimpinellifolium, we’d really like to hear about your experiences so please reach out via email or in the comments!
Leave a comment