The key to replacing your tree is to select one that has the same ripening date yours did. Q. We purchased a plant called a tomato tree that is supposed to bear fruit in about three years. The plant grew from a sprig to about 6 feet tall, but when it started to get cool the leaves started to turn brown and drop off. We brought it inside, and it has continued to have this problem. The leaves look as though they are sunburned.
Aphids seem to love it.
The botanical name for the tomato tree is Cyphomandra betacea, says UC master gardener Danae Paras. In the Sacramento area, the tomato tree is deciduous even though it can be evergreen in warmer zones. Here it should be planted with overhead protection to help it through our winter temperatures and the summer heat. The leaves may have burned last summer even though you noticed the effects much later. The condition of the leaves also may be a sign of excess water or fertilizer.