Have you ever sliced into a tomato and discovered white squiggly creatures inside? These are not worms or aliens that made their way to the center, but rather seeds of the fruit that have begun germinating. It is known as vivipary, which means “live birth” in Latin. It refers to plants that sprout while remaining within or linked to the mother plant. It is frequent in some tomato, pepper, apple, pear, and citrus cultivars.
This tomato was probably a little older and had been sitting on the counter in a warm kitchen for a while. Vivipary occurs when the hormone that controls seed dormancy is depleted or runs out, allowing the seed to develop in the wet environment within the fruit. This warm, moist environment is perfect for germinating seed to grow. The new plant sprout would ultimately poke through the skin of the already rotting tomato if the tomato was left uncut in the heated temperatures. These young plants may be planted and grown into a huge tomato plant capable of producing tomatoes. Since it originated from a seed that had to be pollinated by another tomato bloom, the tomato will not be a clone of the mother plant. The tomatoes on the plant are completely edible and may even be tasty. As you slice into your next fruit or vegetable, look for the seeds.
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Related Questions
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Is it OK to eat tomatoes that are sprouting inside?
There are numerous causes for this, but the tomato with germinated seeds may be consumed safely. The process of seeds growing within a tomato is known as vivipary. It happens in overripe fruit after the seeds have matured and the natural hormone, abscisic acid (ABA), has been depleted.
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Why are there sprouts inside my tomato?
The seeds germinated while still inside the parent plant, splitting open to reveal eager green sprouts. The phenomenon is known as “vivipary” in plants.
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What is tomato vivipary?
A tomato is physiologically a fruit since its seeds are on the inside and have germinated. This is known as vivipary, which is Latin for “live birth.” My salad tomato was giving birth in real time.
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Why are my tomatoes moldy inside?
Gray mold on tomato plants is caused by a fungus that has over 200 hosts. Gray mold of tomatoes also causes postharvest rot at harvest and in storage and can cause a variety of other diseases, including damping off and blight.
