You Say Tomato, I Say Potato: The Tomato Potato Combo Plant Lives!

In a 1999 episode of The Simpsons, Homer Simpsons accidentally created the tomacco - a tomato and tobacco hybrid.

That frankenplant was recreated in real life in 2003 by Rob Baur of Lake Oswego, Oregon). In that case, the real life tomacco was created when Baur grafted a tomato plant onto tobacco roots - the plant actually lived and even bore tomatoes, which Baur suspected to contain lethal dose of nicotine.

Well, fast forward to 2013 and here comes another tomato-based combo plant: the Tomtato, a plant that is both tomato and potato.

Michael Perry, new product manager at UK's mail order seed and plant company Thompson & Morgan, told NBC News, "It's the perfect marriage. Why wouldn't someone want to buy one?"


Photo: Thompson & Morgan

The Tomtato bears cherry tomatoes above ground and white potatoes below. According to the Thompson & Morgan website, horticulturists have tried to create a creation for 15 years but the plants have only recently been successfully produced commercially. When they're just a few weeks old, tomato plants are cut at the stem and grafted onto a potato plant. Scientifically, that works because tomatoes (as well as tobacco plants) are members of the potato family (Solanaceae).

Thanks Tiffany!


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