Solanum lycopersicum
Tomato
(c) Георгий Виноградов (Georgy Vinogradov), some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Solanaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Solanum lycopersicum (Tomato) is a non-native California herb in the Solanaceae family, recognized by . Distinguished by massive fruits and compound leaves.
Tomato is a naturalized annual found in the Great Valley, San Francisco Bay Area, and southern California coastal regions in disturbed areas, abandoned fields, and roadsides at elevations up to 1,630 meters. Flowering from summer to fall, this plant produces yellow flowers in small raceme-like clusters with deeply lobed, rotate petals. Growing with fleshy, erect or reclining stems that are variably hairy and often aromatic, it can reach 20 to 50 centimeters tall. Its large compound leaves are 10 to 20 centimeters long, composed of a mixture of large and small leaflets arranged in an odd-pinnate pattern. The fruit develops as a spheric to ellipsoid berry 2 to 12 centimeters in diameter, ripening from green to red, yellow, or purple.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 21 sympatric species. Distinguished by massive fruits and compound leaves.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed areas, abandoned fields, stream sediments, roadsides, generally not persisting
Elevation: <= 1630 m
California counties: Santa Cruz, Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Kern, San Bernardino, Riverside, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Butte, Napa, Alameda, San Mateo, San Diego, Yolo, Monterey
Outside California: native to South America
Bloom period
Solanum lycopersicum blooms Summer-fall.
How to tell it apart
vs Lycianthes: Solanum anthers open by pores at tips; Lycianthes anthers split lengthwise.; vs Physalis: Solanum lacks papery lantern around fruit; Physalis has distinctive inflated calyx covering the berry.; vs Phacelia: Solanum has yellow anther cone; Phacelia has protruding stamens and coiled flower clusters.; vs Capsicum: Solanum has rotate star flowers; Capsicum has flowers with spreading petals not forming flat star.; vs Salvia: Solanum has 5 stamens forming yellow cone; Salvia has 2 stamens and square stems.
Frequently asked questions
Is Solanum lycopersicum native to California?
No. Solanum lycopersicum is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Solanum lycopersicum bloom?
Solanum lycopersicum blooms Summer-fall.
Where in California does Solanum lycopersicum grow?
Solanum lycopersicum occurs in Santa Cruz, Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Kern, San Bernardino, Riverside, Santa Barbara and other counties, at elevations of <= 1630 m.
What plant family does Solanum lycopersicum belong to?
Solanum lycopersicum is in the Solanaceae family, genus Solanum.
What habitat does Solanum lycopersicum grow in?
Solanum lycopersicum grows in Disturbed areas, abandoned fields, stream sediments, roadsides, generally not persisting.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.