From Seed to Seed:
Plant Science for K-8 Educators

The Family Tree in Your Garden

Students might be surprised at how closely related many of the plants in their gardens are. Many vegetable gardeners know that rotating crops each season can help prevent pest problems. For example, you may know that, if possible, you should avoid planting tomatoes in the same spot more than once every three years, since insect and disease organisms that attack tomatoes can remain in the soil. But did you know that you should also avoid plants in the same family as tomatoes? The tomato is a member of the nightshade family, Solanaceae; other members include pepper, eggplant, potato, and tomatillo. Let's take a closer look at the relationships among familiar garden plants.