Potato Fruit - DO NOT EAT

 If you find something that looks like a tomato growing on a potato plant do not eat it, it is pretty poisonous. We found what looks very much like a tomato growing on a potato plant. We have the two plants in close proximity in our garden and initially we wondered if there had been some cross pollination going on. This should not be impossible as both plants are from the Solanaceae family. Further investigation ruled out the hybrid tomato explanation; aparently the genetic link is close but not sufficiently close to allow interbreeding.

It is possible to graft the two species and there are even commercial varieties of the "Pomano" or "TomTato" See link below.

We have come across several mentions of potato fruiting and the explanation given was that unusually cold periods  could cause the fruit to develop. We even came across  some pictures of a bright red potato fruit  which had ripened nicely. We believe that the advice to avoid eating them still stands even if they have turned red and look just like a tomato. The poisonous compound is known as Solanine and it can make you very ill indeed. Green potatoes are to be avoided for the same reason

For more information put "potato fruit" into a search engine of follow the  link, we came across this one which is pretty comprehensive and makes for interesting reading, whether you have a serious scientific interest or not.

Potato Fruit -- http://msue.anr.msu.edu/

The Pomano -- https://www.freshfruitportal.com

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