Anticipating.....

the first tomato of the season!

Tomato

from the Spanish word "tomate"

 Latin botanical name, Lycopersicon esculentum "wolfpeach"

Regardless if you believe that the tomato is a fruit or a vegetable, it is the #1 garden crop in the US.  Native to Central and South America (grown as a perennial) the tomato is part of the nightshade family.  At one time the tomato was considered poisonous and grown for ornamental purposes only.  However, by the mid-eighteenth century, tomatoes where being consumed in the US.  China is the largest producer of tomatoes.