70 Days, Open Pollinated, 30,000 to 50,000 SHU
A twist on the classic Cayenne pepper, this exceptionally ornamental pepper is one of the hottest Cayennes, with excellent flavor. Elegant 2’ tall plants are covered with dozens and dozens of light purple blossoms which turn into dark purple, thin peppers about 3” long, a bit smaller than a regular cayenne, that eventually ripen to deep red. They can be used fresh, pickled, dried, or ornamentally, as hot pepper flakes, in salsa or hot sauce, and in countless Latin American, Indian, Caribbean, African and Asian dishes. Eve has enjoyed growing Purple Cayenne in a 16” diameter pot in her front yard.
Vegetables
PURPLE JALAPENO Hot Pepper
75-85 days, Open-pollinated, Mild to Medium Heat
Fruits start out green, then turn dark purple a long time before turning red at maturity, making this a beautiful ornamental plant that often shows green, purple and red fruits at the same time. Plus, the blossoms are lavender. The fruits are 3-5” long, with low to medium heat (2,500 to 8,000 Scoville units), and a little more sweetness than the average jalapeño. Plants are highly productive. Use fresh in salsa and salads, for stuffing or pickling.
RED HABANERO Hot Pepper
90-100 days, Open-pollinated, Extremely Hot
Attractive plants to 3’ tall bear heavy crops of small, wrinkled, bright red fruits hanging from slender curved stems like holiday ornaments. They have a fruity aroma and flavor, and truly fierce heat (260,000 Scoville’s fresh, 445,000 Scoville’s dried), so be careful!! Though commonly associated with Caribbean and Mexican cuisines, Habanero peppers originated in the Amazonas region of Peru.
RED HOT CHERRY Hot Pepper
80-90 days, Heirloom, 2,500 to 5,000 SHU
Named for its pretty, cherry-like shape and color, Hot Cherry produces medium-heat peppers with a slightly sweet taste. They are very fleshy and juicy, perfect for pickling or stuffing. The 1” to 2” wide fruits grow on full, bushy, plants and mature from green to red when they have developed their full flavor. Frequent harvesting through summer will maximize the plant’s yield.
RED ROCKET CAYENNE Hot Pepper
55 days green, 75 days red, Open -pollinated, Very Hot
Red Rocket is a widely adapted, quite early-maturing and quick-drying Cayenne variety, bred by Rob Johnston, Jr. 2-3’ tall plants produce heavy yields of 4″ long by ½” wide thin-walled peppers that are both sweet and very hot (30,000 – 50,000 Scoville units), excellent for pickling, salsa, ristras, hot chile flakes or powder.
SERRANO HUASTECA Hot Pepper
75 days green, 100 red, Open pollinated, Hot
A small fruited Serrano pepper from the mountains of the Huasteca region on the Gulf coast side of Mexico. It produces flavorful, hot, dark green, 2-2 1/2” fruit even in cool summers. Serrano peppers are popular for their productivity and diverse utility in the kitchen, and are used almost as much in Mexican cuisine as jalapeños. Fairly juicy considering their small size, they are used in Mexican hot sauces and pico de gallo.
TABASCO Hot Pepper
85 days, Heirloom
Imported to the US in 1846 from Tabasco, Mexico, this pepper made its way to Avery Island, LA, where the McIlhenny family used it in a hot sauce that became so popular and famous that now Tabasco sauce is synonymous with hot sauce. The 2”-long, tapered Tabasco is a very hot pepper, borne in copious quantities on a short, compact plant.
AUNT RUBY’S GERMAN GREEN
Indeterminate, Heirloom, Open Pollinated, 85 days
Just delicious, and one of the largest green beefsteaks, with fruits often weighing over 1 pound. Brilliant, neon-green flesh, both meaty and juicy, with a strong, sweet, and fruity flavor, at least as tasty as the best red tomatoes. Ripens early for its size, on strong healthy, productive vines. The winner of the 2003 Heirloom Garden Show’s taste test, and a star at our 2018 Taste of Tomato!
AURORA
60-65 days, Open-Pollinated, Determinate
This tomato from Siberia is named for the Aurora Borealis. Compact, bushy, determinate plants produce large, early crops of 2-5 oz., red, round, blemish-free, oblate tomatoes with acidic but delicious, rich, old-fashioned tomato flavor. Produces well in cooler climates, coastal climates or high altitudes, in the field, in the greenhouse or containers. An excellent choice for a great slicing or canning tomato.
AZOYCHKA
Russian Heirloom, Indeterminate, 60 days
Highly productive, reliable plants typically bear 40 to 50 tasty, gold beefsteak tomatoes that have a citrusy flavor with a good balance of sweet and acid. Many people prefer these to the milder and sweeter flavor of most other yellow tomatoes. Fruits are smooth, round and slightly flattened, weighing from 10 to 16 ounces.
BEAM’S YELLOW PEAR
Heirloom, Indeterminate, 70-80 days
Introduced to Seed Savers Exchange in 1983 by John Hartman of Indiana. Superior to other yellow pear varieties in flavor, texture and performance. Provides a seemingly endless supply of 1½” fruits with great flavor. Ideal for salads. Kids love them!
BELLA ROSA
Hybrid, Determinate, 75 days
Bred for excellent disease resistance, this high-yielding variety produces 10-12oz. flavorful, firm, round red fruits with a good balance of tart and sweet. It is also heat-tolerant, continuing to set fruit in hot weather. The determinate plants are vigorous but relatively compact. Considered the best-tasting of the varieties resistant to Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus, which has become an issue in Front Range gardens. If you’ve had TSWV problems in your garden, Bella Rosa may enable you to grow tasty tomatoes again!
BIG RAINBOW
Heirloom, Indeterminate, 80 days
An heirloom preserved by members of Seed Savers Exchange, everything about this variety is BIG! Huge fruits up to 2 lbs. are borne in profusion on very large vines, and the delicious fruits are full of sweet, low-acid fruity flavor. The irregularly-shaped tomatoes are very striking sliced, as the yellow fruit has neon red streaking though the flesh. Even when harvested green at the end of the season, they will ripen beautifully indoors and still have a full, rich balance.
BLACK CHERRY
Indeterminate, Open-Pollinated, 64 days
Bred in Florida by the late Vince Sapp, the fruits are almost black in color. Large, vigorous, indeterminate, regular-leaf, plants yield abundant crops in huge clusters of 1″, round, deep purple, mahogany-brown cherry tomatoes. The delicious fruits have wonderfully complex flavors that are fruity, balanced, very rich, sweet, and intense, , characteristic of the best flavorful black tomatoes. Disease resistant.
BLACK FROM TULA
Russian Heirloom, Indeterminate, 70-80 days
The happiest, healthiest, most prolific and most delicious full-sized tomato in our experience. Vigorous, medium-sized plant bears loads of 3” to 4 ½” mahogany fruit with green shoulders and deep red interior flesh. The flavor is superb – rich, complex, sweet, tart, even spicy. Winner of Boulder Culinary Gardeners’ tomato-tasting in 2010, a fave at several Taste of Tomato events, and one of Eve and Mikl’s top favorites. Very heat-tolerant (produced in the heat of 2012 when many others did not). Also the only variety we know of that tolerates being planted in cooler soil without stunting or compromising the performance of the plant
BLACK KRIM
Russian heirloom, Indeterminate, 69-80 days
One of the most productive heirloom tomatoes and early too! Striking fruits are black, green and iridescent purple-red on the outside, partly black in the glistening interior. Fruits average 12 to 18 oz. Has unusual flavor described as sweet, intense, smoky, and texture is juicy and meaty. Important – harvest Krims when half green and still firm – at that stage they are dead ripe and delicious. If you wait too long, they will be mealy and over-the-hill.
BLACK PRINCE
70-75 days, Open-pollinated, Indeterminate
A superior home-gardening heirloom variety from Irkutsk, Siberia, the unblemished 5 oz tomatoes are round and very uniform, the color a wonderful iridescent, mahogany brown, and the flavor is deep, sweet, fruity, and rich, and slightly smoky, tangy, and salty. Texture is meaty, not watery, perfect for salads or sandwiches. The reliable plants produce prolifically, beginning early and continuing through the season.
BLACK SEA MAN
Heirloom, Determinate, 75 days
One of the very few compact ‘black’ tomatoes (can be grown in a mid-sized container where it can produce 20+ fruits!), this potato-leafed Russian heirloom bears an early and abundant crop of beautiful, large round 12-16 oz tomatoes with no dimples or lobes. Skin is deep mahogany-colored with green shoulders and the deep red flesh is rich with excellent complex, full-bodied, flavors. Introduced by Seed Savers Exchange in the early 1990’s. We loved the gorgeous, huge specimens grown and donated by Boulder’s Cure Farm at our Taste of Tomato a few years ago!
BLACK TRUFFLE or JAPANESE BLACK TRIFELE
Heirloom, Indeterminate, 69-80 days
Pear-shaped, burgundy-black 6-8 oz. fruits with pretty green shoulders are high in both sugar and acid, with intense, complex, full-bodied flavor. Great for slicing, caprese, salads and roasting. Short potato-leaf plants have huge production of smooth, crack-resistant, medium-sized fruit. Don’t over-water and you’ll be rewarded with deep, chocolaty, smoky, rich-flavored tomatoes
BRAD’S ATOMIC GRAPE
Indeterminate, Open-Pollinated, 75 days
Highly productive, open, vining plants with wispy foliage. Large, elongated, pointy grape tomatoes borne in large clusters. Sounds dull, huh? Well, the colors of these 2-bite gems are extraordinary, and every fruit appears hand-painted! Lavender and purple stripes, orange turning to technicolor olive-green, red, and brown/blue stripes when fully ripe. The olive green interior is blushed with red when dead-ripe. Flavor? They came in second place after Sungold in the Cherry tomato category at our 2018 Taste of Tomato! The fruits are juicy and firm, crack-resistant and exceptionally sweet, which is what many people are looking for in a snacking tomato. The fruit holds well on the vine or off. This release from Wild Boar Farms also won best in show at the 2017 National Heirloom Expo.
BRANDYWINE, PINK (Sudduth’s strain)
90 days, Open-pollinated, Indeterminate
The Sudduth strain of Brandywine heirloom tomato is famous for its unforgettable, rich, and delightfully intense tomato flavor. Also called ‘Pink Brandywine’, these large pink beefsteak tomatoes can grow to be about 2 pounds. The large plants are potato-leaved, which tend to be healthier than other Brandywine strains. Requires support.
BUSH EARLY GIRL
F1 hybrid, Determinate, 54-65 days
This determinate ‘sister’ of popular Early Girl has the same desirable qualities in a compact, true bush, perfect for large patio containers and small gardens. High-yielding, very early-ripening, large (4”, 6 oz.) red fruits have excellent flavor. Columnar 18″ plants are very compact and self-supporting, with good heat tolerance and multiple disease resistance (VFFNT).
CHEROKEE PURPLE
Heirloom, Indeterminate, 77 days
Delicious deep pink 3-4″ fruits now on Slow Food’s Ark of Taste. A favorite at our 2015 Taste of Tomato, and for many gardeners, the only tomato they will grow because it never disappoints.
CHIANTI ROSE
Heirloom, Indeterminate, 80 days
Abundant, big, rosy-red fruits of the beefsteak type. A crack-resistant Brandywine cross with superb flavor and creamy texture. Vigorous potato-leaf variety, tolerates cool summers.
CHOCOLATE CHERRY
Open pollinated, Indeterminate, 70 days
Appearing in clusters of eight all over the fairly compact vine, the 1” to 1 ¼” fruits ripen from green to lavender to rich mahogany and are extremely flavorful. Fruits hold stems very well, resist cracking and can be picked several days before completely mature and allowed to ripen to perfection off the vine without sacrificing quality.
CHOCOLATE STRIPES
Heirloom, Indeterminate, 79 days
This one is a beauty queen – so lovely and unique, we had to try it. Fruit is deep reddish-brown inside; the outside is covered with beautiful orange and lime colored stripes. Very large regular-leaf plants yield an abundance of beautiful flattened round 3-6” fruits with delicious, sweet yet complex, earthy, rich flavor. Produces over a long season and well into autumn. A great sandwich and salad tomato.
COSMONAUT VOLKOV
Heirloom, Semi-determinate, 65-72 days
Always a taste-test winner, this Ukrainian tomato was a clear favorite at our 2012 Taste of Tomato. Compact, prolific plants dependably produce ripe fruits by early or mid-August, even in cold summers. The slightly flattened 8-12 oz. (2-3”) globes are deep red with greenish shoulders. Delivers true tomato taste – rich, balanced, both sweet and tangy. Superb home-garden variety and works well in high tunnels.
COSTULOTO GENOVESE
Heirloom, Indeterminate, 78-85 days
An Italian, heat-loving, heirloom tomato that has been a favorite for many generations for both fresh eating and pasta sauce. The beautiful medium to large, glossy deep-red fruits have a singularly fluted profile, are deeply ridged, and heavily lobed. They are meaty, full-flavored, slightly tart, and delicious. Because of their scalloped edges, perfect for use in arrangements of different colored sliced tomatoes.
CUOR di BUE
Heirloom, Indeterminate, 70 days
This curious and striking tomato is sure to turn heads as well as satisfy appetites. Its name is simply Italian for “ox heart” and it’s been a favorite in Italy for many years. The shape is bottom-heavy reminding you of a pouch with a gathered top. A large, 12 oz., sweet and tasty saucing type with dense flesh and lustrous, orange-red skin, it can be eaten fresh as well as cooked. Hard to find.
FLORADADE
Open-Pollinated, Determinate, 74-77 days
Our recent summers have featured long stretches of high heat, causing tomato blossom drop and halting fruit set, growth and ripening. Introduced by the U. of Florida in 1976, Floradade was bred to withstand high heat, up to 100 F, and still produce high yields. Night temperatures above 75 F are not a problem for Floradade. It is also adaptable to both dry and humid climates, and bred to excel in Dade County’s heavy calcareous soils, making it a good candidate for growing in our heavy clay soils. The determinate plants are large (4 to 5’) and require support. The bright red, smooth, globular fruits weigh 5-7 oz. have green shoulders, and they are firm and reportedly very flavorful, slightly more acidic than sweet, perfect for sandwiches, salads, slicing.
GLACIER
Open-pollinated, Ultra-Early, Semi-Determinate, 55 days
Glacier will be one of your first ripe tomatoes of summer, and one of your last in the fall! This 30″h x 36”w plant sets fruit earlier and in cooler temperatures than other varieties, and continues to produce throughout the season. When planted in a Solar Cap in mid-April, Glacier can deliver delicious, ripe fruit as early as mid-June! Attractive 2-3 oz. orangey-red round fruits with smooth texture have sweetness combined with moderate acidity creating wonderfully complex flavor. Perfect for salads or sandwiches, and have rated very high at our tastings. The potato-leaf plants are short and open and support should be provided. Great for containers!
GOLD NUGGET
Open Pollinated (stabilized from original hybrid), Determinate, 55-60 days
Very prolific compact plant bears delicious 1”+ golden-yellow, pretty egg-shaped fruits packed with sweet tomato flavor. The skin is tender yet crack-free, and there are few seeds. Usually the very first to ripen; great for eating out of hand, in salads, or for drying. The healthy plants are great for growing in containers and small gardens.
GOLDIE – NEW!
75 days, Open-pollinated, Indeterminate
Deep orange beefsteak fruits are dense, with fabulous sweetness and a richly complex flavor profile, as well as extraordinary velvety texture. Frequently bi-lobed, they average 16-20oz. Though reputedly 150+ years old, Goldie was not introduced commercially until 1977. Harvest when fruit has a distinct rosy blush on the bottom (blossom end). Plants are very productive, and the sturdy indeterminate vines require support. Prune to 1 trunk and no more than 3 main branches for healthy, easily trellised plants. Fruits can catface under cold or excessively wet conditions
GRAPE (red)
60 days, Open-pollinated, Semi-determinate
This is a modern open-pollinated variety that has become very popular for its excellent sweet flavor and small, snack size and shape. The fruits are bright red, weigh about 1oz. each, and generally smaller than most cherry-type tomatoes (½ by ¾ inches), borne in clusters, often 12 to 16 fruits per cluster. They’re perfect for kids, snacking, salads, and garnish.
GREEN DOCTORS – NEW!
Open-pollinated, Indeterminate
A supreme snacking tomato, this jewel is loaded with sugar and fruitiness. Cherry-sized fruit is a beautiful, translucent kiwi green in color. Large vines produce huge yields of these crisp little fruits. Harvest when fruit develops a slight yellow blush for the sweetest taste. Named for famed tomato experts Dr. Amy Goldman and the late Dr. Carolyn Male.
GREEN ZEBRA
Determinate, Open-Pollinated 60-65 days
An old-fashioned tomato originally developed in 1986 by Tom Wagner of Tater Mater Seed Co. by crossing heirlooms Yellow Pear and Evergreen. The distinctive 1 ½” juicy, golden-green fruits are borne in clusters of 4-12 that resemble large muscat grapes and are translucent pale, lime-green inside. The high-yielding plant makes a compact bush – great for raised beds and small gardens. Green Grape tomato has become popular in restaurants and markets because of its excellent, crisp, fresh flavor and unique attractiveness. Great for snacking!
HONEY DROP CHERRY
Open pollinated, indeterminate, 62 days
Originating as a chance sport in the tomato patch of Crabapple Farm in Maine, Rachel and Tevis Robertson-Goldbery selected and developed this OP rival to the ubiquitous Sungold hybrid, with all of its delicious fruitiness but much less cracking. The sweet, juicy, honey-colored, egg-shaped treats taste almost like light grapes and surpass many other cherry tomatoes in earliness, sweetness and complexity. You may see some of the recessive pink fruit off-types (currently being selected and developed as Pink Princess), but these are so yummy too!
HOUSE TOMATO
Heirloom
A rare and totally unique tomato! An heirloom variety, originally from Russia, brought to Canada in the 1890s. Small, tasty red cherry tomatoes are produced on very compact, prolific plants, up to 24”, that can be grown outdoors in containers in summer, then brought into the house. In fact, if you live in an apartment, this variety can be grown entirely indoors in a warm, sunny window, and can potentially live 10 years or more! Tip for growing indoors: keep a humidifier running near the plants or spray them with a fine mist of water frequently. Cut the plants back in spring to encourage productive new growth.
INDIGO APPLE
Open Pollinated, Indeterminate, 75 days
With much better and sweeter flavor than Indigo Rose (the first “blue” tomato), Indigo Apple is deep black-purple when immature, maturing to red with purple shoulders and stripes. The medium-sized fruits are held in showy, pendant clusters. Resists sunscald, cracking, and disease and has excellent shelf life. Very high in anthocyanins, lycopene, and vitamin C, making it an exceptionally healthy choice.
ISIS CANDY
Open Pollinated, Indeterminate, 67 days
1″ round morsels of red and gold garden candy have a starburst pattern on the blossom end when ripe. Sweet and fruity, in clusters of 6-8, on large, prolific plants. A top 10 winner at tomato tastings, out-shining Sun Gold at our 2016 Taste of Tomato! Crack-resistant, regular leaf. Bred by Joe Bratka of New Jersey.
ITALIAN ROMA
80 days, Open-pollinated, Determinate
The classic heirloom Italian paste and canning tomato, also used to add body to soups and juices. Early maturing, rich-flavored, firm, meaty, plum-shaped, 3” fruits have few seeds. The compact plants, to 3’ tall and 1.5’ wide, bear abundantly, up to 200 fruits per plant, mostly ripening at the same time. They also grow well in containers.
JAUNE FLAMME
French Heirloom, Indeterminate, 70-80 days
Beautiful, small, deep orange, apricot-shaped fruits are 2-3 oz., great for fresh eating, but also for drying or sauce. Very prolific and dependable.
LUCKY TIGER – NEW!
70-75 days, Open-pollinated, Indeterminate
Part of the Artisan™ series, Lucky Tiger combines a unique look, exceptional flavor, and high vigor. Two-inch elongated fruits in stunning, jewel-toned shades of green and red, with hints of gold, with green striping gradually becoming more defined as the background blushes red and interior marbling develops. Bred for great flavor, too: tangy, sweet, and complex with tropical notes and balanced acidity.
JULIET
Hybrid, Indeterminate, 60 days
The 1999 All America Selection, this tomato plant produces deep red, 2″ (1 oz.), oval, crack-resistant fruit borne in large clusters. A versatile tomato perfect for fresh eating, drying, marinating. Vigorous plants are disease-resistant.
KELLOGG’S BREAKFAST
Midwest heirloom, indeterminate, 85 days
Stunning, brilliant golden-orange, meaty beefsteak tomatoes are 4 to 5″ (1-2 lbs) or larger! Old-fashioned flavor is rich, fruity and full, among the best-tasting heirlooms of all time. The vigorous vines require staking. One of Eve and Mikl’s top favorites. In 100 Heirloom Tomatoes for the American Garden, Dr. Carolyn Male says, “There isn’t another large orange beefsteak variety that I’d rather grow than Kellogg’s Breakfast.” We agree! This fine tomato originated with Darrell Kellogg of Redford, Michigan.
MARTINO’S ROMA
Italian Heirloom, Determinate 70-80 days
This classic paste variety has been aptly described as ‘bullet-proof’. I can attest that Martino’s is immune to blossom-end rot, resistant to early blight, and thoroughly reliable. Big yields of plum-shaped tomatoes on compact, bushy plants with attractive, rugose foliage. The paste-type fruit weigh 2-3 ounces, are dry-fleshed and very meaty with few seeds. Makes great sauces, salsas and pastes. The very heavy set of fruits ripen over a 2 week period.
MATT’S WILD CHERRY
Heirloom, Indeterminate, 55-70 days
These small deep red cherry/currant tomatoes explode with intense, sweet tomato flavor! Perfect to sprinkle on a salad. A cultivar ostensibly based on the original wild tomato plants, acquired by a friend of Dr. Matt Liebman in Hidalgo, Mexico. Liebman raised it in Maine, eventually releasing it under his own name. The tall, super-vigorous vines require staking and produce incredible numbers of delicious fruits in clusters. Reportedly resistant to Early Blight and somewhat resistant to Late Blight and frost. Kids love them, and they are highly nutritious!
MEXICO MIDGET CHERRY
Heirloom, Indeterminate, 60-70 days
Old-time, south-of-the-border favorite that consistently proves its value as a salad tomato. Produces hundreds of little 1/2″, dark red, round, cherry-type fruits packed with irresistible flavor.V ery reliable and prolific harvests throughout an extended growing season. Kids love them, and they’re highly nutritious!
MOSKVITCH
Open-Pollinated, Semi-determinate 60 days
Developed in the early 1970s at the famous N. I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry, in Moscow, Moskvitch is very popular with gardeners in Colorado, especially at higher elevations in the foothills. The 4-6 ounce crack-resistant fruits are very uniform, globular and deep red, with outstanding flavor for fresh use or processing, and are produced extra-early and abundantly. Moskvitch performs well in cool conditions, like many of the Russian varieties.
NATIVE SUN – NEW!
Open-Pollinated, Determinate 50-65 days
Considered the best super early yellow determinate tomato. Flavorful 3-4 oz. lemon yellow fruit. As early as subarctic tomatoes with much more flavor – very sweet with a nice tomato finish – and larger size. Very productive, with multiple concentrated yields on healthy bushes. Crack resistant and blemish free. Grows well in containers and even better in the ground. Bred by Tim Peters of Peters Seed and Research.