Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Couilles de Taureau (Huevo de Toro) 🌍 Origin: A very old European heirloom. Originally from Spain under the name “Huevo de Toro”, it was later popularized in France under the literal translation “Couilles de Taureau” (which translates to “Bull’s Testicles”). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), standard regular leaf. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Cherokee Lime Stripes 🌍 Origin: An American heirloom variety discovered by breeder Bill Jeffers. It is believed to be a natural mutation or cross involving ‘Cherokee Green’. Sometimes traded as “Cherokee Lime Stripes (Purple Green)”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. In open ground, it can stay relatively compact (around 1 meter / … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Cleota Pink 🌍 Origin: An old, relatively rare family heirloom from Tennessee, USA. It is highly prized by heirloom collectors for producing massive pink fruits on potato-leaf vines. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, Potato Leaf (PL). 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large pink beefsteaks. They are exceptionally meaty but retain a very juicy flesh … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Church 🌍 Origin: A massive American heirloom from the Church family in Hot Springs, Virginia. It was first introduced to the wider tomato community by the legendary collector Chuck Wyatt. In Russian collections, it is frequently traded under the direct translation “Церковь” (Tserkov). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, regular leaf. A very … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Copia 🌍 Origin: A stunning American heirloom developed by breeder Jeff Dawson. It is a cross between ‘Marvel Stripe’ and ‘Green Zebra’. It was named in honor of Copia, the American Center for Wine, Food & the Arts in Napa, California. It is sometimes sold under the name “Tigercopia”. 🌿 Plant … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Cherokee Purple 🌍 Origin: A legendary pre-1890 heirloom from Tennessee, USA. According to lore, the seeds were originally given by the Cherokee Native American tribe. It was popularized in the tomato world by Craig LeHoullier, who received the seeds from J.D. Green in 1990. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, though in some … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Cul de Singe 🌍 Origin: A wonderful heirloom oxheart variety from France. The name literally translates to “Monkey’s Ass” (a playful traditional name in French horticulture!). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). A very productive and heavy-yielding plant. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Gorgeous, plump red hearts. Fruits can reach 300-400 grams (10.5-14 oz), … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Candy Sweet Icicle 🌍 Origin: Created by Brad Gates at Wild Boar Farms in California. Note: Growers report that two distinct color lines are currently circulating: a pearly pink/red version with yellow stripes, and a dark chocolate/brick-red version with green stripes (which is closer to the original release). 🌿 Plant Habit: … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Catwell 🌍 Origin: A highly regarded heirloom beefsteak prized by collectors for its vibrant color and excellent storage capabilities. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), but tends to be quite manageable in height (around 1.7m / 5.5 ft in a greenhouse). It features good foliage cover, which helps protect the fruits. Early … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Cœur de Zèbre (Heart of Zebre Apricot) 🌍 Origin: Created and developed by breeder Jean-Claude Bosher in France. It is the result of a cross between Cœur de Bœuf and Red Zebra. Note: Do not confuse this with “Zebra Heart”, which is a spontaneous mutation circulating in the USA. 🌿 Plant … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Corazon de Huesca 🌍 Origin: A magnificent old heirloom variety from the Huesca province in the Aragon region of Spain. The name translates to “Heart of Huesca”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Grows very well and produces reliably in greenhouse conditions. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Beautiful, massive pink heart-shaped tomatoes (oxhearts). They … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Copper River 🌍 Origin: A breathtakingly beautiful tricolor heirloom bred by Lynn Brown in Napa Valley, California. It was later widely distributed by famous tomato collectors (such as Reinhard Kraft). 🌿 Plant Habit: Ranges from semi-determinate to a manageable indeterminate (usually topping out between 1.2m and 1.6m / 4–5.5 ft). It … Read more