Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zones 4-6 Experience)
Indeterminate late-season variety with potato leaves. Fruits are large dark-pink beefsteaks — flesh is meaty, buttery, and has very few seeds. The pink color of the fruits is absolutely gorgeous, covered in itty-bitty white specks — the “fireflies”. Very good balanced flavor, sometimes it leaned a bit more on the sweet side, sometimes a little more tart. Yield was average, but the vine was growing in the greenhouse in the shade, and its plant footprint isn’t very wide anyway. Planning to repeat this variety next year.
Grew this variety again in 2016. The tomatoes were super sweet all summer long, almost zero tartness. Definitely stays on my favorites list for taste. Yield bumped up to above average this time around, gonna try to boost it even more haha.
My “firefly” has very similar looking fruits, but the leaves are regular, not potato leaf. Is it an off-type?
My “firefly” has very similar looking fruits, but the leaves are regular, not potato leaf. Is it an off-type?
Yes. For this old family heirloom that dates back to the 1890s, the foliage must be potato leaf, as listed here:
https://t.tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Depp%27s_Pink_Firefly
And the “potato leaf” trait is recessive, meaning self-pollination will produce plants with that exact leaf type.
Edited July 26, 2017 by Drosera
Full Summary: Plant, Yield, Taste and Storage
- 🌿 Plant: Indeterminate, late-season heirloom with potato leaves (PL). The vine doesn’t have a massively wide footprint. Produces large dark-pink beefsteaks covered in tiny white speckles. Note: if a plant shows regular leaves, it’s a cross or off-type.
- 📈 Yield: Average in shaded greenhouse conditions, but can be bumped up to above-average with proper placement and care.
- 👅 Taste: Highly praised. The flesh is meaty, buttery, and relatively seedless. The flavor is very balanced and sweet, with the sweetness becoming even more pronounced in good years.
- 📦 Storage: Not mentioned in this thread.
- 🌎 Who Reviewed It: 3 growers contributed to this thread, including reports from USDA Zones 4 and 6.
