Tomato

	For the mutated tomato-potato hybrid, see tato.

The tomato is the edible, often red fruit/berry of the nightshade Solanum lycopersicum, commonly known as a tomato plant.^[1] Accustomed to warm climates, tomatoes are rarely grown in the wasteland.

Background[]

Despite being commonly cultivated in the western parts of North America, there has been no evidence of cultivation on the East Coast, and by 2287, the unmutated tomato has been reported to be extinct,^[2] with its ecological niche being filled by the tato plant in the Commonwealth.

The Enclave, as well as the denizens of Appalachia in the early 22nd century and New California (such as the town of Filly) by the end of the 23rd century are known to have had access to the fruit.^{[3][4][5][6][7][8]}

Characteristics[]

Tomato plants are vines, initially decumbent, that, if supported, typically grow 6 feet or more above the ground. The fruit itself is edible and typically ripens when its color changes to red.

Notes[]

• In a terminal entry in Fallout 4, a scribe claims that both the potato and tomato are extinct while claiming that the "tato" is their mutated hybrid. This is in contrast to neither being extinct and the potato being cultivated, including in the Capital Wasteland where the writer is from. This could be taken to mean local extinction, as opposed to global extinction. However, this entry is actually just an error.
• The spelling of tomato is mentioned by Daniel Bird in a memo found on the Enclave Oil Rig as well as by Bird himself in dialogue.^[3]
• Taking a bath in tomato juice is suggested by Dr. Ada Straus as a backup remedy to treat radiation poisoning, in case her treatment is ineffective.^[6]
• Mick Flanagan recounts how a few of his acquaintances were arrested for throwing rotten vegetables at Penny Hornwright's limo, including tomatoes. Mick continued, writing that the police mentioned charging the individuals with assault, to which Mick questioned, "How can you hurt someone with a tomato?"^[9]
• Delbert Winters remarks that both tomatoes and potatoes grow in Appalachia, having begun to cross-pollinate, resulting in the tato hybrid variant that "tastes like ketchup-flavored cardboard."^[10]

Appearances[]

Tomatoes are mentioned in Fallout 2, Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 4, and Fallout 76, and appear in the Fallout TV series episode "The Target".

References[]