Chips & ketchup tree: Hybrid plant growing potatoes & tomatoes now on sale

A new hybrid plant going on sale in the UK Monday could save you a trip to the chip shop, as it grows both potatoes and tomatoes.

They say money doesn’t grow on trees, but imagine the money that could be saved by this DIY solution to the greasy, often late night, cuisine.

While we're still hoping for a real-life Tomacco plant, the new TomTato tree is an exciting step in the right direction.

Aimed at families with limited garden space and flat dwellers who feel like growing their own spuds, the horticultural creation hit the shelves of a UK supermarket chain Monday.

It took a UK horticultural firm more than ten years to figure out how to grow tomatoes up the vine and potatoes under the soil in one pot - and this is the first time the plants will be sold in stores.

“This new plant is just the solution for our shrinking gardens and will enable everyone to follow their produce from plant pot to plate,” said Glen Cooper, a manager from the store.

The chain insists the plant hasn’t been genetically modified and comes from years of hand-grafting stems to make them suitable for both tomato and potato growth, both of which are part of the nightshade family.

Grown and grafted in the Netherlands, stems from two plants are cut at an identical angle so they can be connected and within a week, they naturally join up.

The ketchup and chips plants grow tomatoes and potatoes from July to October and will set you back £5 (US$7.20).

The TomTato plant can be grown inside or outside and lasts for one season, producing as many as 500 tomatoes and 2kg (4.4lb) of potatoes.

While the potatoes can be used to make chips, it may be cheaper to buy your own ketchup and use the cherry tomatoes for a nice salad.

An “egg and chips” plant was launched last year. It grew both aubergine (aka eggplant) and potatoes.

And, of course, we’re still waiting for our Tomacco plant.