🍅 Quick take: Sheboygan is a historic early-1900s Wisconsin heirloom indeterminate vine producing heavy clusters of chubby, pink icicle-shaped plum tomatoes in the 3.5-4 oz (100-120 g) range. While historically grown as a paste and canning cultivar, northern gardeners praise it as a sweet, juicy fresh slicer with outstanding cold tolerance, setting fruit from floor to ceiling even after freezing spring weather. Full summary ↓
Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zones 3-5 Experience)
Indeterminate, mid-season, high-yielding variety. Grew mine in an open garden bed where it topped out around 4.3 ft (1.3 m). It set every single cluster without dropping blooms.
The fruits are versatile all-purpose tomatoes: elongated plum-icicles in a deep pink shade, very pretty, low seed count, and great flavor with noticeable sweetness. Average weight was 3.5-4 oz (100-120 g). Really impressed with this one. Seeds sourced from Germany.
In the garden photo, the vine of this variety is the one on the right.
The fruits are versatile all-purpose tomatoes: elongated plum-icicles in a deep pink shade, very pretty, low seed count, and great flavor with noticeable sweetness. Average weight was 3.5-4 oz (100-120 g). Really impressed with this one. Seeds sourced from Germany.
In the garden photo, the vine of this variety is the one on the right.
Is the skin thick and tough, and does the meat have that sugary watermelon-like texture?
Growing this delicious tomato this season, and as of today the vines have shot past 6.5 ft (2 m). Yield has been average for me, but to be fair it isn’t planted in the greatest spot. Definitely going to grow it again in the future. Huge thanks to Elena N for the seeds!
I’m usually not the biggest fan of pink tomatoes, but this one developed an unmistakable, rich tomato flavor backed with real sweetness. Solid A+ from me!
Grew this for the first time this season from ElenaN’s seeds. Ended up being the very earliest ripening tomato in my entire greenhouse! Incredibly tasty fruit, very sweet.
The only thing that gave me trouble was its sheer vertical vigor. It hit the roof in no time, and right now it’s running horizontally all along the greenhouse ridge pole.
The only thing that gave me trouble was its sheer vertical vigor. It hit the roof in no time, and right now it’s running horizontally all along the greenhouse ridge pole.
Loved this variety! 👍 Seeds came from ElenaN. 🙏
Grew in the greenhouse trained to two leaders. Vigorous tall indeterminate vine, mid-season maturity, heavy producer, and keeps bearing over a long window. The tomatoes are juicy, tender, chubby pink icicle plums with a sweet finish 😋, weighing up to 4 oz (110 g). Flavor-wise it reminded me a lot of my personal favorite, Lightning Stripe.
Grew in the greenhouse trained to two leaders. Vigorous tall indeterminate vine, mid-season maturity, heavy producer, and keeps bearing over a long window. The tomatoes are juicy, tender, chubby pink icicle plums with a sweet finish 😋, weighing up to 4 oz (110 g). Flavor-wise it reminded me a lot of my personal favorite, Lightning Stripe.
Unbelievable! An absolute beast of a variety! It was like a literal waterfall of tomatoes – heavy, dense curtains hanging everywhere!
Even though I started this one as a rooted sucker cutting, it established in record time and cranked out an insane number of gorgeous pink plums from the soil line all the way to the greenhouse ceiling. On top of that, they’re super delicious and sweet.
Even though I started this one as a rooted sucker cutting, it established in record time and cranked out an insane number of gorgeous pink plums from the soil line all the way to the greenhouse ceiling. On top of that, they’re super delicious and sweet.
Yulya: Unbelievable! An absolute beast of a variety! It was like a literal waterfall of tomatoes…
Julia, do you think this vine could carry 3 or 4 leaders? Does it stay relatively polite, or does it sprawl all over the walkway?
Amina: Julia, do you think this vine could carry 3 or 4 leaders?
Amina, it can handle 3 stems without breaking a sweat. It could probably carry 4 too, though the fruits might size down a touch.
The vine isn’t an aggressive space-hog at all. It doesn’t try to bully everything around it; it’s actually very polite and manageable.
And like I mentioned earlier, mine was started from a rooted top cutting. It took a beating early on and went into the bed with practically zero root system, but it bounced back fast, completely shrugging off our brutal, freezing cold May. If it had been planted as a prime, healthy seedling from the start, the yield would have been even crazier. That’s why I’m so enthusiastic about it!
Definitely going to trial it next year! Will report back with results in the fall!
I originally planted Sheboygan strictly as a canning paste. Even shared an extra seedling with my neighbor with that in mind. Turned out to be an outstanding fresh salad tomato!
Genuinely delicious. It has sweetness, a lively acidic tang, and that real old-school tomato aroma. Easily one of our very tastiest tomatoes of 2021. And a fantastic producer, of course. A total keeper!
Julia, huge thanks for the seeds!
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Genuinely delicious. It has sweetness, a lively acidic tang, and that real old-school tomato aroma. Easily one of our very tastiest tomatoes of 2021. And a fantastic producer, of course. A total keeper!
Julia, huge thanks for the seeds!
Inn@: Julia, huge thanks for the seeds!
Inna, I am so thrilled you enjoyed it! But let’s be honest, in your green-thumb hands, any variety looks magical! 👍
Lovely variety, produces bright pink elongated tomatoes. Grew mine in partial shade and tight spacing, but yield was still very solid.
Quick Facts: Variety Summary
- 🌿 Growth Habit: Vigorous, tall indeterminate vine that quickly reaches 6.5 ft (2 m) and beyond. Despite strong vertical growth, the vine maintains a non-aggressive, polite canopy that easily handles 2 to 3 stems.
- 🍅 Fruit Profile: Cylindrical, slightly chubby pink plum/icicle tomatoes weighing 3.5-4 oz (100-120 g). Clear pink skin, low seed cavities, and dense, tender flesh.
- 📈 Cold Resilience & Vigor: Extremely cold-hardy. Established cuttings and seedlings shrug off freezing spring conditions and continue setting blossoms from ground to rafters even in partial shade or crowded rows.
- 👅 Dual-Purpose Kitchen Value: While historically grouped with canning pastes, growers report that it excels as a fresh table slicer with balanced sweetness, pleasant acidity, and rich aroma.
- 🌎 Lineage: Heritage heirloom from Sheboygan, Wisconsin, originally grown and preserved by Lithuanian immigrant families since the early 1900s.
👨🌾 Editor’s Note: The Wisconsin Lithuanian Roots
Sheboygan was brought to Sheboygan, Wisconsin, by Lithuanian immigrant families around the turn of the 20th century. Adapted over decades to the cool, short summers of Lake Michigan, this heirloom became famous for its heavy production of pink plum fruit that don’t split in late summer rains. While commercial processing pastes are bred dry and mealy for machine handling, Sheboygan retains a juicy, high-sugar profile that makes it as good for fresh salads as it is for whole canning.
Sheboygan was brought to Sheboygan, Wisconsin, by Lithuanian immigrant families around the turn of the 20th century. Adapted over decades to the cool, short summers of Lake Michigan, this heirloom became famous for its heavy production of pink plum fruit that don’t split in late summer rains. While commercial processing pastes are bred dry and mealy for machine handling, Sheboygan retains a juicy, high-sugar profile that makes it as good for fresh salads as it is for whole canning.
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