Every spring, ads in Sunday newspaper supplements promise plants 
with unbelievable yields or fantastic blooms all summer. They 
boast of trees that grow as tall as a house in a single season.
One that's truly not what it seems is the "tree tomato," said 
University of Georgia expert Wayne McLaurin.

"That old plant resurfaces almost every year," said McLaurin, an 
Extension Service horticulturist with the UGA College of 
Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. This year's ads list 
the plant as "Giant Tree."

"As usual, the seller promises yields up to 60 pounds per plant 
and stems that grow to 8 feet tall," he said. "The plants 
supposedly don't need staking or caging, either."
But it looks like the same plant McLaurin has seen before. "If 
it's what has been marketed before as a 'tree tomato,'" he said, 
"it's botanically known as Cyphomandra betacea, a very different 
species from garden tomatoes."

Actually, the "tree tomato" is a tropical, semiwoody shrub. It 
grows as much as 10 feet high and starts bearing fruit in the 
second or third year. However, the least amount of frost will 
kill the plant," McLaurin said.

And that's not all the of the bad news. "This plant is in no way 
related to the tomato," he said. "The fruit is more tart and 
jelly-like than our garden tomato. And it has many more seeds."
He smiles and shakes his head as he reads the ad closely.  
"They're sending out a seed planted in a pot at about $3.50 each 
(plus shipping)," he said. "That's one expensive plant."
McLaurin's advice to potential buyers is simple. Take care of 
your true tomatoes. "You'll be much happier," he said. "It's 
always wise to read all the fine print in these ads. And keep in 
mind that old saying, 'If it sounds too good to be true, it 
probably is!'"