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The Attack of the Killer Tomatoes?
 BECOME A KITCHEN BOTANIST: The attack of the killer tomatoes?
While we might find it hard to imagine life without the tomato, it took a long time to be accepted in Europe, where it was grown as an exotic ornamental.
Its general acceptance in Italian markets occurred in the early 19th century, and when it found its way to North America via Europe, it was not generally used as a food item until well into the 19th century.
A reason for this reluctance to eat it was its reputation for being poisonous. Even into the early 20th century it was often called the love apple. This was supposedly because frustrated lovers ate the fruit and expired.
There is a basis for these tales. Tomatoes belong to the nightshade family (Solanaceae), and other members of this family do contain poisons. The leaves, stems, and flowers, and roots of these plants are highly to mildly toxic. Avoid young raw green tomatoes, because they contain the poison solanine. They won’t make you a tragic lover, but you will have a stomach ache if you overindulge yourself.
It might appear strange that many plants are poisonous except for their fruit. Plants can’t run away from predators, but a mouth full of poisonous leaves can encourage predators to take a hike. Seed dispersal, on the other hand, can be aided by colorful and tasty fruit which attracts predators. So the tomato has it both ways.
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