Just when I start feeling good about my level of gardening knowledge, something comes along that shatters my illusion. Last month, for instance, my friend Karen brought an example of vivipary to my attention. I had never heard the term. What is vivipary? It is when seeds sprout while they are still inside the fruit. It is seen most often in tomatoes, peppers, wheat, and corn. It is also common in mangroves, but we don’t grow those in my part of the southeast.
Vivipary happens when the fruit or vegetable is under stress, whether from too much or too little water or a nutrient deficiency. Over-ripe tomatoes are prone to it, and my friend’s tomato was advertised as “vine ripened” at the local grocery. Tomatoes should always be stored at room temperature, as refrigeration gives them a mealy consistency and makes them more prone to this internal sprouting. My guess is that this tomato was shipped to the grocery store in a cool container that stressed it.
Sprouting occurs when the seed’s hormones (gibberellin and abscisic acid, usually) become unbalanced. When the conditions listed above throw the hormones out of whack, the result is broken seed dormancy.
The photos here tell the story.
This “vine ripened” tomato appeared to have a case of teenage acne — and then plants burst through the skin!
Karen cut off the bottom-most portion of the tomato shown above and planted it in soil. Behold: healthy plants! More plants have emerged since this photo was taken. Cool, yes?
Another example: Corn kernels have decided to grow into new plants, still attached to the cob.
Gramody, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Fruits that have vivipary are safe to eat, but it’s a bit creepy to see little seeds sprouting in the midst of a tomato slice.