Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zones 3-6 Experience)
Seeds from Popenko. Turned out to be super disease-prone early on. I think only one out of five seedlings actually survived to be transplanted into the dirt. Very late to ripen, but they tasted sweet, so we’ll probably grow it again just for the variety. Overall I liked it, the one plant that survived was really sturdy. If it hadn’t started setting fruit so late, I think the tomatoes would’ve been bigger. Solid 4 out of 5. Since I only had one plant, I stuck it straight into the greenhouse. Tall vine, potato leaf.
Edited November 22, 2015 by Drosera
The only reason to grow Lotus is for the exotic fruit color. The taste is totally bland. And yeah, it is a potato leaf. My original seeds were from GISOK.
I actually really liked Lotus. Nice sweet taste with a little tang. Definitely not for canning. Doesn’t store long at all, a week max. Flavor-wise it completely beats White Wonder (which was totally tasteless, tart, and watery). The fruits on Lotus aren’t huge, sure, but my vines were loaded and I didn’t have any major disease issues. Fruit weight was between 2 oz and 5.5 oz (60 to 158 g). Forgot to take pictures of the plants unfortunately, but I did save a few fruits for seeds. Seeds were from GISOK.
Just chiming in with my thoughts from this season. I completely agree with Svetlana, Lotus tastes way better than other white varieties, specifically White Ice, Snow White, and White Tomesol.
Also added a poll to the top of the thread.
I liked it too. For a white tomato, it’s pretty tasty and yields well. Bulletproof against disease. Solid 4 out of 5. I’ll always plant at least one vine just to add some color to my salads.
I really liked Lotus too, great taste and the yield wasn’t bad at all. Vigorous vines, got up to 5 ft (1.5 m) in the greenhouse, potato leaf… got my seeds a few years ago from Natalya Alexeevna Borzykh.
Just a heads-up, there’s actually another variety out there with the exact same name “Lotus”. I mentioned it before, grew it two or three years in a row (sent seeds to some folks here on the forum). That one is a short bush, stays under 1.6 ft (50 cm), regular leaf 🙂 no pruning needed, round pink fruits up to 3.5 oz (100 g), sets really well. Tried it out in the greenhouse too (planted at the feet of the tall indets) and the fruits got bigger. Had photos, but my laptop died and I lost everything…
I really love Lotus. Sweet and juicy. I plant it right by the door so the grandkids don’t have to go digging through the whole greenhouse. It’s already been picked pretty clean here. Couldn’t find a photo of them on the scale, if I remember I’ll take one and post it later.
On 12/28/2014, Sergey said:
there’s actually another variety out there with the exact same name “Lotus”. Short bush, stays under 1.6 ft (50 cm), regular leaf 🙂 no pruning needed, round pink fruits up to 3.5 oz (100 g), sets really well. Tried it out in the greenhouse too (planted at the feet of the tall indets) and the fruits got bigger.
That pink Lotus has been in the State Register since 2003. Originated by the VNIISSOK Breeding Institute.
This year, TomAgroS (formerly GISOK) finally registered the white variety we are all used to, and it’s now officially called White Lotus (Belyi Lotos).
“Salad type. Early-ripening variety. Indeterminate plant. Leaves are medium-sized, light green. Simple trusses. Fruits are round, medium-sized, slightly ribbed, not very firm. Unripe fruit is light green with green shoulders, ripe fruit is creamy white. 4-6 seed locules. Fruit weight 4-5.3 oz (110-150 g). Good taste.”
My family and I really liked White Lotus (seeds from TomAgroS). Potato leaf, was the absolute first to ripen. Sowed on Feb 14, sprouted Feb 20, transplanted outside in the dirt on May 9. First ripe tomatoes on July 23, 2016. Fruity taste, honestly just like the seed packet says, it really does have a peach-like flavor.
Seeds from TomAgroS. From the seed packet description: “Early ripening salad variety. Plant up to 4 ft (1.2 m) tall, indeterminate, medium foliage. Large potato leaves. Simple trusses with 3-5 flat-round fruits weighing 4.2-5.3 oz (120-150 g). When fully ripe, the fruit turns a unique, uniform milky-white color. Fruits have a high sugar content and a unique peach flavor. Harvesting tip: Pick when the green shoulders disappear. Recommended for dietary meals and for people allergic to red tomatoes. Fresh eating only.”
Mine turned out really early. I picked them fully ripe, they looked exactly like White Filling (Belyi Naliv) apples. Thin skin, the flesh is super delicate and practically melts in your mouth. Tasty, sweet, definitely not bland, with a slight tang. I didn’t personally taste any peach flavor, though. But it’s delicious!
Edited December 25, 2018 by ALIANNA
This variety used to just be called Lotus, and that’s how it’s listed in our catalog. During registration they renamed it, because there was already a (pink) Lotus in the State Register.
I actually still have seeds saved from 2010. Back when it was still called Lotus. Planted them in 2017 just for fun, germination rate was amazing. Kept two vines for outside in the dirt. Potato leaf. Ripened on the vine. Didn’t taste anything like a peach to me, I’d rate it barely a 4 out of 5 based on my taste buds. But it looked gorgeous in the jar, didn’t split or turn to mush.
Apparently, this “Lotus” is definitely not the one in the State Register. The registered “Lotus” was created by VNIISSOK as a dietary tomato, balancing lycopene and beta-carotene. It has crimson (RRyy) fruit color.
Full Summary: Plant, Yield, Taste and Storage
- 🌿 Plant: Indeterminate, potato leaf (PL) vine. Typically grows to about 4-5 ft (1.2-1.5 m). It produces creamy, milky-white round slicers weighing between 2-5.5 oz (60-150 g). The fruit has thin skin and is ready to pick once the green shoulders completely fade to white.
- 📈 Yield: Most growers report heavy yields, though early seedling vigor can be a struggle. It tends to be one of the earliest ripening varieties in the garden.
- 👅 Taste: Widely considered one of the best-tasting white heirlooms available. While commercial packets claim a “peach” flavor (which most growers couldn’t detect), the taste is overwhelmingly described as sweet, delicate, fruity, and melt-in-your-mouth. A few growers found it bland, but this is a common issue with white tomatoes grown in poor weather.
- 📦 Hardiness: Excellent disease resistance once established in the garden. It has a very short shelf life fresh, but surprisingly holds up beautifully when canned whole in jars.
