Tomato plants sprout on St. Lawrence riverbed in Longueuil amid low water levels
Posted October 19, 2025 5:11 pm.
Last Updated October 19, 2025 6:10 pm.
Dozens of metres of exposed riverbed on the St. Lawrence have become an unlikely garden of green tomatoes, a strange sight locals say could be the result of unusually low water levels this fall.
The tomatoes are growing where the river would normally flow, raising concerns about climate change.
“I feel that this is a climate change scenario,” said Jaswinder Singh, a plant science professor at McGill University.
According to Singh, the recent drought along the St. Lawrence River is one factor contributing to the unusual phenomenon, which he says could become more common in the future.
“When there is a change in climate and weather conditions, there are physiological disorders that happen,” Singh said. “And it is happening now quite often in many crops, not only in tomatoes, but also in peppers, squash and cereal crops, which I have been working on a lot, especially for this reason.”
Locals in the area say the sudden appearance of tomato plants in the riverbed is both fascinating and concerning.
“I didn’t know it was here,” said Diane, a Longueuil resident. “I knew there were green tomatoes growing where the river water had receded. But yes, it’s surprising.”
“I find it really interesting to see, but it’s not a good sign,” said Michel Dorvilliers, another Longueuil resident. “Because the river level, it’s rare to see it like this. All the docks are on dry land now when you walk around. The docks aren’t even in the water anymore.”
Since tomato seeds can easily survive digestion, it is unclear whether their presence is the result of contaminated water, animal activity or human intervention.
“That’s for sure, somehow the seeds reached there, either through squirrels, birds or maybe someone threw something,” Singh said. “But we don’t need many seeds to get many, many plants.”
“The contaminated water is not inside the fruit, actually. All the other things are in there. They are nice and good enough, and I don’t think there will be any issue.”
