Tomato plants are a staple in most vegetable gardens. With their delicious red fruits it’s no wonder they are so popular! However several other plants closely resemble tomato plants and are often mistaken for them. While some of these tomato look-alikes have edible fruits or leaves, others are poisonous and should be avoided.
This article will talk about 10 plants that people often mistake for tomato plants, helping you figure out what’s growing in your garden.
How to Identify Tomato Plants
Before we look at tomato plant fakes, let’s go over some important signs that a tomato plant is real:
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Leaves are alternately arranged, pinnately compound and have leaflets with smooth edges. The leaves have a fuzzy texture.
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Stems are hairy and have a blue-green cast.
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Flowers are small, yellow, 5-petaled and arranged in clusters.
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The fruits are typically red and rounded or oblong, measuring 2-4 inches across. They contain numerous seeds encased in jelly-like flesh.
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Tomato plants are vines in the nightshade family and grow over 3 feet tall if supported, but may sprawl on the ground if not staked.
Now that you know what to look for in tomato plants, let’s examine some common look-alikes.
1. Horse Nettle
One of the most frequent tomato plant imposters is horse nettle (Solanum carolinense). Like tomatoes, horse nettle is a member of the nightshade family. It has prickly stems and leaves similar in shape to tomato foliage. However, horse nettle leaves have smooth edges rather than tomato’s sawtoothed leaves.
Horse nettle has small, round, yellow fruits that look like little tomatoes but are poisonous. This plant that comes back every year is a weed that should be pulled out of gardens.
2. Black Nightshade
Another nightshade sometimes confused with tomatoes is black nightshade (Solanum nigrum). Black nightshade has green leaves and stems that can look nearly identical to tomato plants.
But black nightshade doesn’t make red tomatoes; it makes small black berries. Black nightshade’s green berries that aren’t ripe and its black berries that are ripe are both poisonous. This annual weed spreads rapidly and crowds out desirable plants.
3. Hairy Nightshade
Hairy nightshade (Solanum physalifolium) is closely related to black nightshade. As its name implies, it has fine hairs on the stems and undersides of leaves.
The small berry-like fruits of hairy nightshade start out green and turn purplish-black when ripe. All parts of this nightshade weed are toxic, so recognize and remove it.
4. Jimsonweed
Jimsonweed (Datura stramonium) produces large, white trumpet-shaped flowers that distinguish it from tomato plants. Also called devil’s trumpet or thorn apple, jimsonweed has spiny seed pods and all parts of the plant are poisonous.
5. Jerusalem Cherry
Although not a nightshade, Jerusalem cherry (Solanum pseudocapsicum) is another imposter of tomato plants. Native to Peru, this small shrub grows 2-3 feet tall and has leaves similar to tomatoes.
However, Jerusalem cherry produces hundreds of tiny bright red fruits that resemble small cherry tomatoes. Despite their resemblance to edible tomatoes, Jerusalem cherry fruits are poisonous.
6. Litchi Tomato
Litchi tomato (Solanum sisymbriifolium) is often called sticky nightshade or wild tomato. It has prickly stems and leaves that look nearly identical to tomato foliage. But instead of red tomatoes, litchi tomato produces small red fruits encased in papery husks.
The ripe fruits are edible and described as sweet and tasty. However, litchi tomato self-seeds readily and can become weedy.
7. Wonderberry
Wonderberry or sunberry (Solanum burbankii) is a hybrid nightshade bred by horticulturist Luther Burbank. Its leaves closely resemble tomato foliage.
However, wonderberry produces tiny dark purple fruits encased in husks. When ripe, the fruits have a sweet flavor similar to blueberries. But seeds and foliage are poisonous.
8. Garden Huckleberry
Garden huckleberry (Solanum scabrum) looks almost identical to tomatoes when young. But as it matures, the nightshade weed is distinguishable by its small blue-black berries and flowers with pointed petals.
The ripe berries are edible and have a sweet, spicy flavor. But the rest of this nightshade plant is poisonous, so cultivate with caution.
9. Ground Cherry
Several species of ground cherries are also frequently confused with tomato plants. Ground cherries like Physalis pruinosa have heart-shaped fuzzy leaves reminiscent of tomato foliage.
But instead of red tomatoes, ground cherries produce small yellow or orange fruits encased in papery husks. The ripe fruits are edible and tasty.
10. Red Soda Apple
Red soda apple (Solanum capsicoides), also called cockroach berry, is another nightshade that mimics tomatoes. Red soda apple has prickly stems and leaves nearly identical to tomato plants.
It produces small red fruits that resemble cherry tomatoes but are poisonous. This problematic weed is common in pastures and should be controlled.
It’s easy to mistake many other plants for tomato plants. Some nightshades like horse nettle and jimsonweed are highly toxic, while others like litchi tomato bear edible fruits. Carefully examine any tomato look-alikes that pop up in your garden to make a positive identification before attempting to eat them or allowing them to grow unchecked.
Knowing the key differences between real tomato plants and imposters will ensure you cultivate an abundant harvest of delicious tomatoes! Plus, you’ll be able to recognize potentially dangerous nightshade weeds and remove them right away.
Weeds that Look Like Tomato Plants
Botanical Name: Solanum carolinense
The horse nettle has leaves that look a lot like tomato leaves, and its yellow and green berries look like tomatoes that aren’t quite ripe. However, this weed carries tiny white and purple flowers over the prickly stems that might give you the right signals.
Botanical Name: Solanum nigrum
It is commonly known as the European black nightshade. This weed looks a bit like a tomato plant with its young, green berries and hairy stems. But unlike nightshade vegetables, it grows in empty lots and neglected areas, which makes the difference very clear.
Botanical Name: Physalis longifolia
Standing about 50 cm tall, the ground cherry often gets mistaken for cherry tomatoes because of its small, yellow fruits wrapped in dainty, lantern-shaped husks. While it looks similar, these fruits are a favorite in preserves and jams, setting it apart from your garden-variety tomato.
Botanical Name: Solanum pseudocapsicum
The Jerusalem cherry, sometimes called the Madeira winter cherry or the vague winter cherry, could be confused with tomato plants due to its serrated leaves and colorful berries ranging from orange to bright red.
While it’s often grown for decoration, in some parts of South Africa, India, New Zealand, and Australia, it’s just another weed easily distinguished by its vibrant berries.
Eastern Black Nightshade
Botanical Name: Solanum ptychanthum
Eastern black nightshade features little green berries and hairy stems that might remind you of tomato plants at first. But as the berries age to a deep black, it’s clear this isn’t any tomato.
Plus, this weed is a common sight in disturbed areas and gardens, thriving where a tomato plant is least expected.
Botanical Name: Solanum dulcamara
With its red berries and growth habits that echo those of smaller tomato varieties, bittersweet nightshade could easily blend into a row of garden plants. However, its distinctive purple to blue flowers offer a clue that this isn’t your typical tomato plant.
If you see this weed growing along your garden fence, it’s another sign apart from the colorful flowers instead of tiny yellow ones.
Botanical Name: Solanum rostratum
Buffalobur might catch your eye as it stands erect, reaching heights between 1/2 and 3 feet, with its spiny, hairy appearance like the tomato plants. In fact, the little yellow flowers might even remind you of tomato blooms.
But unlike tomatoes, which have a more sprawling growth, buffalobur grows distinctly upright.
Botanical Name: Solanum jamaicense
First seen in Florida, the Jamaican nightshade quickly claimed wooded habitats where it dominated in isolated patches. A poisonous weed, the star-shaped flowers are very similar to that of tomato plants, and they even range in similar colors from white to pale yellow.
The berries further the resemblance, starting green and turning red upon ripening, though it’s definitely not a tomato!
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FAQ
What plant looks like a tomato plant?
Pepper, tobacco, and the famous Nicandra, or “Apple of Peru,” are all in the same family. Nicandra is a tomato-like plant that has a long history of keeping flies away. Nicandra isn’t poisonous, but it is considered an invasive weed—although many farmers swear by its ability to keep flies away. Or maybe just kill them.
What looks like a tomato but is not?
What are persimmons? Believe it or not, the golden-orange, large-stemmed fruit that resembles a flat tomato is a member of the berry family. (Like tomatoes, persimmons are technically a fruit!).
What is similar to a tomato plant?
The two plants are very closely related. also in the family are tobacco and deadly nightshade, as well as eggplant, and bell and chili peppers. Fun fact – tomatoes can also be grafted onto kangaroo apples, because they’re the same family! Pomato is a grafted vegetable plant, that is not very successful.
Are there any poisonous plants that look like tomatoes?
The Jerusalem cherry is not the only toxic plant that looks like a safe one. The poisonous Carolina horsenettle fruit also looks like a tomato. However, its common name is a dead giveaway that it is dangerous. It is called devil’s tomato.