Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Love dark tomatoes? You’re in the right place. We are gathering a worldwide collection of black, purple, and deep mahogany varieties, complete with real photos and honest reviews from actual growers.
If you’re growing dark heirlooms, you’ll quickly notice they fall into two main camps. The classic “black” tomatoes (like the famous Russian darks) aren’t actually black. They just retain green chlorophyll as they ripen, which mixes with red lycopene to give them a beautiful brick, mahogany, or muddy-brown color.
Then there are the modern purple/indigo varieties. These get their crazy dark colors from anthocyanins (the same stuff found in blueberries). The rule for these is simple: wherever direct sunlight hits the skin, it turns deep purple or jet black, while the shaded parts usually stay red or pink.
Most growers agree that dark tomatoes have a very specific taste profile. They are usually described as earthy, sweet, and sometimes slightly salty. Because they generally have lower acidity than classic red tomatoes, they are fantastic for fresh eating and slicing for sandwiches.
Scroll down to browse the varieties our community has tested. We document real yields, plant heights, and whether the seeds are actually worth saving for next year!
.jpg.5a16c56fb39914af5a21517cd25cb306.jpg)
Quick Summary of Chernyi Shokolad (Black Chocolate) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian cherry tomato variety, most notably distributed by the “Poisk” seed company as part of their “Vkusnoteka” (Flavor Library) series. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). The bush is vigorous but has somewhat sparse foliage, meaning it doesn’t get overly bushy. Growers successfully prune it … Read more
Quick Summary of Ananas Noire (Black Pineapple) 🌍 Origin: A famous variety discovered in Belgium by Pascal Moreau. It is widely grown by Russian collectors under the translated name “Chernyi Ananas”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), typically reaching 4-6 ft (1.2-1.8 m). It has regular leaf (RL) foliage. It is generally a strong and vigorous … Read more
Quick Summary of Chernyi Prints (Black Prince) 🌍 Origin: A legendary Soviet-era heirloom dating back to the 1960s-1970s. Note: There is a massive issue with modern commercial seed companies selling incorrect strains (off-types). The “true” original Black Prince is highly sought after by collectors. 🌿 Plant Habit: The original is indeterminate (tall), typically reaching 1.5–1.8 … Read more
Quick Summary of Violet Jasper (Tzi Bi U / Tszy-Yu) 🌍 Origin: A stunning commercial heirloom originally from China. It circulates under multiple translated names, including Violet Jasper, Purple Jasper, Tzi Bi U, and Tszy-Yu. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), typically reaching 1.2–2 m (4–6.5 ft) depending on whether it is grown outdoors or in … Read more
Quick Summary of Tsygan (Gypsy) 🌍 Origin: A very popular and reliable Russian commercial variety. The name translates to “Gypsy”, a traditional naming convention in Eastern Europe for dark, mahogany-colored tomatoes. 🌿 Plant Habit: Semi-determinate to indeterminate. It is relatively compact, typically growing 90–120 cm (3–4 ft) tall, though it can reach 1.5 m (5 … Read more
Quick Summary of Tsindao (Qingdao) 🌍 Origin: A well-known dark/black tomato variety popular among Russian and Eastern European heirloom growers. Originally named after the Chinese city of Qingdao. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), but growers frequently note that the plant has a rather fragile, wispy structure (not overly aggressive in growth) and usually stops around … Read more
Quick Summary of Purple Calabash (Фиолетовая тыква) 🌍 Origin: A very old and famous heirloom variety known globally as Purple Calabash. It is renowned for its unique, deeply ribbed shape resembling a miniature pumpkin. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. The plants are extremely rampant and vigorous. Growers report them aggressively pushing out suckers from every possible … Read more
Quick Summary of Faworyt 17/1 (Favorite 17/1) 🌍 Origin: A new Polish breeding line resulting from a cross between Malinowa Sakiewka and Bordo. The name translates to “Favorite 17/1”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Growers note that the line might still be slightly segregating. It can present with either Regular Leaf (RL) or Potato Leaf (PL) foliage. … Read more
Quick Summary of Ultrafiolet (Ultraviolet) 🌍 Origin: A rare dark-fruited variety sent to Russian collectors in 2010 by Ukrainian tomato breeder D.G. Terentyev. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), vigorous, and forms a massive, strong plant (“like a tree”). Interestingly, it starts out looking very weak and wispy as a seedling, but explodes with growth once … Read more
Quick Summary of Carbon (Uglerod) 🌍 Origin: A world-famous heirloom variety, widely known and grown by Russian tomato collectors under the translated name “Uglerod” (Carbon). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), but growers note it behaves very adaptably. Outdoors in open ground, it often acts semi-determinate, stopping around 1 m (3.3 ft). In greenhouses, it easily … Read more
Quick Summary of Teplichnyi Temnyi (Greenhouse Dark) 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom variety, originally distributed by a well-known collector named Suvorov from St. Petersburg. The name translates to “Greenhouse Dark”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), but growers note that it doesn’t aggressively shoot upward like some vines. The bush is quite sturdy. Interestingly, despite its … Read more
Quick Summary of Siegel’s Dark Stripes 🌍 Origin: A beautiful dark striped heirloom variety. Known in Russian collections as Temnye Polosy Sigelya. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Performs very well in a greenhouse environment and responds nicely to being pruned to 2 stems. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Oblate (flattened) fruits with a striking red-brown/mahogany base covered … Read more