Plant guide
Tomato plant
Solanum lycopersicum
Tomato leaves and stems are toxic to cats, and green fruit also needs to stay out of reach. Ripe fruit is a different exposure; this guide is not a recommendation to feed tomatoes. Contact your veterinarian if your cat chews the plant.
What this guide covers: Solanum lycopersicum only. Check the botanical name; a photograph alone cannot establish identity.
Photo:
Photo details
Solanum lycopersicum — Solanum lycopersicum grown in porous terracotta pots on a porch.
By Sharon_K
License: CC BY-SA 4.0
Resized and converted to WebP for display; botanical details unchanged.
This displayed image is shared under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 license.
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Photo:
Photo details
Solanum lycopersicum — Solanum lycopersicum grown in porous terracotta pots on a porch.
By Sharon_K
License: CC BY-SA 4.0
Resized and converted to WebP for display; botanical details unchanged.
This displayed image is shared under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 license.
San Marzano tomato seeds
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Keep away from cats. We do not recommend this plant for a home where cats could reach it.
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Look for Solanum lycopersicum and check the selected variety. Listings and availability can change.
Plant identity
- Scientific name
- Solanum lycopersicum
- Scope
- Species
- Family
- Not recorded
- Also known as
- No reviewed aliases available
Find the right spot
How to grow this plant
Solanum lycopersicum only. Check the botanical name; a photograph alone cannot establish identity.
- Light
- Sunny position
Full sun.
- Watering
Water consistently; large swings in moisture can damage fruit.
- Temperature
- Growing range: 70–75°F / 21–24°C
A warm-season crop; the source describes 70–75°F for growth. Plant out only after frost danger passes.
- Humidity
No specific humidity target established.
- Potting
- Moist, loamy, slightly acidic soil with drainage.
- Through the year
- Use stakes or cages, rotate the growing site, and avoid excess nitrogen fertilizer. Keep cats away from the crop.
Growing-guide sources
- Solanum lycopersicum ↗NC State Extension · Accessed 2026-10-16
Solanum lycopersicum only. Check the botanical name; a photograph alone cannot establish identity.
Growing advice reviewed 2026-10-16. Plant safety is assessed separately.
Reviewed safety information
- Toxic principle
- Not recorded in the reviewed evidence
- Reported signs
- Not recorded in the reviewed evidence
- Severity
- Severity not established
Missing information is unknown. It should not be interpreted as an absence of risk.
Safe alternatives
No verified alternative recommendations are available for this guide.
Sources & review
- Tomato plant: source assessment ↗ASPCA · Accessed
Listed by the source as Lycopersicon spp. ASPCA explicitly covers cats under the older Lycopersicon spp name. NC State lists Lycopersicon esculentum as a previous name for Solanum lycopersicum, supporting a narrow member-species mapping. Do not widen this to the whole Solanum genus.
- Solanum lycopersicum ↗NC State Extension · Accessed 2026-10-16
- Tomato plant: source assessment ↗ASPCA · Accessed 2026-10-16
Safety last reviewed .