Quick Summary of Cherniy Tyulpan (Black Tulip)
- 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial heirloom variety. Note: There appear to be a few variations circulating among collectors under this name (some from Brizhan, some from Panova), ranging from 150g up to 500g, but they all share the dark coloration and excellent taste.
- 🌿 Plant Habit: Semi-determinate to indeterminate. When grown in open ground, it often stays relatively compact (around 80 – 120 cm / 2.5 – 4 ft). Usually trained to 2 stems. Highly disease resistant (growers note it as “healthy” even in bad years).
- 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Oblate (flattened-round) beefsteaks. The color is brownish-burgundy (almost black on the shoulders), and dark red inside. Size varies depending on the seed line: from 150-200g (5-7 oz) up to massive 400-500g (14-17 oz) fruits.
- 👅 Flavor & Texture: Very highly rated. The flesh is dense, juicy (but not leaky or watery), and meaty with a noticeable, pleasant sweetness.
- ⏳ Yield: Mid-season. Consistently described as a very heavy yielder, even in difficult, weather-challenged seasons.
A very productive little tomato, even in this difficult year. It grew outdoors in open ground. The bush height was no more than 80 cm (2.5 ft). The bush is showered with fairly large, brownish-burgundy, oblate (flattened-round) fruits.
The taste is very good, with a noticeable touch of sweetness. Meaty and juicy, but it doesn’t leak everywhere when cut.
Overall, I liked the variety very much. I will definitely keep it in my collection.
Edited January 29, 2015 by Drosera
And my Black Tulip grew out to be heavily ribbed and black… as I was told later, it was most likely Tim’s Black Ruffles… I wonder if I mixed up the seeds myself, or if my tomato actually has that name… But it really did look like a flower, especially when cut in half…
Nelli said:
And my Black Tulip grew out to be heavily ribbed and black… as I was told later, it was most likely Tim’s Black Ruffles…
Nelli, if your Black Tulip is from me, then it absolutely cannot be Tim. I got it from Brizhan [a known Russian seed collector], the Tulip’s fruits are 150-200g (5-7 oz), while Tim maxes out at 100g (3.5 oz). The description from Brizhan’s catalog perfectly matches the Tulip that grew 😉
I also saw a “Tulip” in someone else’s catalog that looked like a small, pear-shaped plum tomato 😕
Tanya, tomorrow I will check if it was yours or not… But I understand that I most likely have Tim… although no one ever sent me seeds with that name… But Irina Garmonia saw it live in my garden and identified it precisely… It was so prolific, it was terrifying! Moreover, on the lower first clusters they were smaller, and the higher up they grew, the larger they got…
The yield is good, fruits are not huge—150-200g (5-7 oz).
Thank you to Svetlana for the seeds! 🙏
Edited November 26, 2015 by Drosera
Description from the seed packet: “Black Tulip – a mid-season variety, fruits are almost black, very tasty, dark red when cut. Productive. Height 120 cm (4 ft), weight up to 400 g (14 oz). Grown in 2 stems.” (Seeds are from T.F. Panova).
I liked it! 👍 Beautiful, tasty, and disease-resistant. Large fruits (the biggest one in the photo is almost 500g / 1.1 lbs), meaty; it’s definitely staying in my collection ❤️
