Hollis Grantland not only grows big tomatoes but unusual ones in his garden at 748 Thompson Rd. NE in Priceville.

He noticed a four-headed oddball growing on one of his vines several days ago and brought it by the Hartselle Enquirer office on July 1 for a show and tell photo.

“I’ve grown tomatoes every year for a long time,” Grantland said, “but  I’ve never seen anything like this one.” It’s four normal size tomatoes joined together weighing about two pounds. From what I can tell, it formed in a single bloom and developed to maturity on one stem.”

Grantland said he has a bumper tomato crop with some weighing as much as a pound each.

“I change locations every year,” he said. “This year, I have two or three varieties planted near the house and four or five varieties planted in my garden. They’re all producing well.

Grantland also grows several vegetable varieties including squash, cucumbers, beans, peppers, peas and butterbeans.

“I usually grow corn,” he pointed out, “but the raccoons ate most of last year’s crop so I decided not to plant any this year.”

Grantland said he grows more than enough produce to feed his family and shares the excess with his neighbors.

Hollis Grantland of Priceville holds an unusual four-headed tomato he harvested from one of his tomato vines on July 1. | Clif Knight