Strange tomato plant

westydogs, Dec 21, 2:58pm
Today I saw a tomato plant which grows as big as a tree and does not need support being on a thick stem and grows straight. Does anyone know the name of this tomato?

dibble35, Dec 21, 3:22pm
A proper tomato, or tree tomato AKA Tamarillo

westydogs, Dec 21, 4:14pm
Yes proper tomato, google search only brought up Tamarillo. Fascinating plant, have a few people trying to find out what it is. Searched all the seed places in NZ and nothing looks like it.

cantabman1, Dec 21, 5:55pm
What a bout a photo , so we can all see it please.

whitehead., Dec 21, 8:37pm
a few years ago the chinese people had one they grew into a tree it was 2 storied and three years old

westydogs, Dec 22, 5:40am
Sorry don't have a photo the plant is at my mother's house. Well they look like a cross with a Chinese gooseberry, the name is tomatillo and here is what Wikipedia says about it

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomatillo

harrislucinda, Dec 22, 8:47am
yes thought was a cape gooseberry

oh_hunnihunni, Dec 22, 9:31am
OMG I hope the two little ones in a pot on my deck don't do that.

https://trademe.tmcdn.co.nz/photoserver/full/434601874.jpg

westydogs, Dec 22, 3:13pm
OMG I hope the two little ones in a pot on my deck don't do that.

You might have to look for a bigger pot and a step ladder. You will need a bucketful to make a sandwich. There are a lot of recipes for the Tomatillo if you google.

oh_hunnihunni, Dec 22, 5:15pm
I have googled and was rather looking forward to taste testing lol! I grow all kinds of things in pots, but this one is purely an experiment. so it can stay where it is. I save seed if I like my experiments and going on your recommendation if I do I will put it in a recycled rubbish bin next year! I have my mexican cookbook all primed lol.

I've grown cape goosegogs for years, but not enough room these days. Still got some jam though!

urbanrefugee54, Dec 23, 2:48pm
I think the cape gooseberry is different, as it goes yellow when ripe. where-as the other one stays green or goes purple

oh_hunnihunni, Jul 1, 4:01am
Very different, leaves too. But Mama Nature loves to repeat a good design idea, the paper case thing appears on a number of different plants. Keeps the pests out!