🍅 Quick take: Rozella (often cataloged as Rozella Bicolor) is an indeterminate, potato-leaf bicolor beefsteak reaching 5.5 to 6 ft (1.7-1.8 m). Producing oblate, golden-yellow fruits crowned with a rosy-red blush and a distinctive red “necktie” marbling through the interior, fruit sizes range from 5 to 9 oz (150-250 g) with occasional whoppers topping 18 oz (500 g). Gardeners in northern zones (USDA Zone 4-5) celebrate its rich, sweet, low-acid flavor and visual appeal, though it demands steady, controlled watering to prevent rain-induced splitting and requires adequate summer heat to avoid blandness. Full summary ↓
Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zones 4-5 Experience)
Here is the catalog description from Popenko: “Oblate, yellow with a pink cap and rosy blush, up to 9 oz (250 g), sweet.”
That is exactly how mine turned out. Lost the cross-section photo, unfortunately. Indeterminate, topped out at 5.5 ft (1.7 m) in the greenhouse.
As for maturity, judge for yourself: the photo date is August 16… definitely not early, not even mid-season, I’d say mid-late. Zero fruit was harvested off the plant before this shot.
Flavor-wise, very nice, sweet, classic salad slicer. Very handsome tomatoes. In terms of weight, the smallest fruit was around 5 oz (150 g), not counting any tiny undeveloped runts.Edited February 21, 2017 by Drosera
That is exactly how mine turned out. Lost the cross-section photo, unfortunately. Indeterminate, topped out at 5.5 ft (1.7 m) in the greenhouse.
As for maturity, judge for yourself: the photo date is August 16… definitely not early, not even mid-season, I’d say mid-late. Zero fruit was harvested off the plant before this shot.
Flavor-wise, very nice, sweet, classic salad slicer. Very handsome tomatoes. In terms of weight, the smallest fruit was around 5 oz (150 g), not counting any tiny undeveloped runts.Edited February 21, 2017 by Drosera
Truly gorgeous tomatoes. And by the looks of it, yield seems pretty solid too.
I am deliberately staying quiet on yield because in my garden this year, lots of varieties failed to set clusters 3 and 4 during the heat swing. Rozella was among them.
SvetaR wrote: Lost the cross-section photo, unfortunately…
Found the sliced photo after all! Sliced lengthwise, though.
Edited November 15, 2016 by Drosera
Even prettier cut open!
Foliage and Fruit Shape: Potato-Leaf Genetics & Bicolor Marbling
Rozella. Mid-season indeterminate bicolor of moderate height. Potato leaf foliage.
Fruits averaged 5 to 7 oz (150-200 g), oblate, golden-yellow with pink marbling flowing from the crown down toward the blossom end. In my garden, the flavor turned out completely flat. Most likely our cold, wet summer took a heavy toll on the sugars.
Fruits averaged 5 to 7 oz (150-200 g), oblate, golden-yellow with pink marbling flowing from the crown down toward the blossom end. In my garden, the flavor turned out completely flat. Most likely our cold, wet summer took a heavy toll on the sugars.
Most likely I am growing this exact same variety, though it came into my hands labeled as “Rozella Bicolor.”
Indeterminate, potato leaf foliage, oblate fruits colored yellow-orange with a distinct red cap. Standard weight ran 7 to 9 oz (200-250 g), with individual specimens bulking all the way up to 18 oz (500 g).
Indeterminate, potato leaf foliage, oblate fruits colored yellow-orange with a distinct red cap. Standard weight ran 7 to 9 oz (200-250 g), with individual specimens bulking all the way up to 18 oz (500 g).
I liked Rozella very much. In the greenhouse, the vine reached roughly 6 ft (1.8 m). Foliage was distinctly potato leaf.
The fruit is sweet, juicy, with that classic red “necktie” flame marbling through the center slice. Yield was good. One watch-out: excess moisture can easily trigger skin cracking.
The fruit is sweet, juicy, with that classic red “necktie” flame marbling through the center slice. Yield was good. One watch-out: excess moisture can easily trigger skin cracking.
Rozella
I adore bicolors. Rozella is simply gorgeous!
See for yourselves.
I adore bicolors. Rozella is simply gorgeous!
See for yourselves.
Full Summary: Plant, Yield, Taste and Moisture Sensitivity
- 🌿 Plant Architecture: Indeterminate vine of moderate stature, reaching 5.5 to 6 ft (1.7-1.8 m) in greenhouses. Foliage is true potato leaf (PL). Can drop mid-tier blossoms (clusters 3 and 4) during sudden midsummer temperature spikes.
- ⚖️ Fruit Size & Shape: Oblate, smooth-shouldered beefsteaks typically running 5 to 9 oz (150-250 g), with well-pruned plants pushing jumbo slicers up to 18 oz (500 g). Color is golden-amber with a ruby-rose cap and starburst.
- 👅 Flavor Profile: Very sweet, low in acid, with a juicy, melt-in-the-mouth texture and the signature red “necktie” marbling through the center flesh. Requires good heat and sunshine; prolonged cold, overcast spells can dilute flavor.
- 💧 Moisture Caution: The tender skin makes this variety susceptible to radial cracking if hit with irregular, heavy watering late in the ripening phase.
- 🌎 Reviewed In: Moscow Region, Kostroma, Pskov, and Belarus (USDA Zones 4-5).
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