Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Chilo Della Garfagnana 🌍 Origin: A treasured old family heirloom from the Garfagnana region of Tuscany, Italy. The name loosely translates to “Kilo of Garfagnana”, hinting at the massive potential size of its fruits. 🌿 Plant Habit: Semi-determinate or short indeterminate. It produces a vigorous, stout bush with regular foliage that … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Carmina 🌍 Origin: A wonderful heirloom slicing variety known for its distinctive appearance and reliable production. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), mid-season. The plant grows strong and vigorous, producing very good yields. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Unusually shaped, ribbed pink beefsteaks. The interior flesh is beautifully colored—mostly pink with a striking crimson-red … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Cascade Lava 🌍 Origin: A stunning novelty variety bred by Brad Gates at Wild Boar Farms (USA). Highly sought after by heirloom collectors for its unique appearance. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). The plant has a rather compact, wispy foliage structure but grows very vigorously, easily reaching 2 meters (6.5 feet) … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Carmella’s Yellow Stripes 🌍 Origin: A beautiful striped bicolor heirloom variety. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Produces sturdy, beautiful seedlings. Interestingly, growers report variations in leaf type—some plants display a Potato Leaf (PL) trait. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large beefsteaks weighing 300-400 g (10.5-14 oz). The skin and flesh are stunning: pinkish-red … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Coeur de Boeuf de Nice 🌍 Origin: A classic French heirloom originally from the Mediterranean region around Nice. The name translates to “Bull’s Heart from Nice”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), vigorous grower. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Medium to large red tomatoes, typically weighing 150-300g (5.3-10.5 oz). The shape is highly variable … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Cafe Bule 🌍 Origin: An American heirloom variety known for producing masses of dark, pear-shaped cherry tomatoes. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Growers describe it as “well-behaved” and not overly aggressive in its growth. The foliage is relatively light-colored, taking on a purplish-blue hue in strong sunlight. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Small, beautiful … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Cherokee Tiger Large 🌍 Origin: A beautiful Canadian variety originally developed by breeder Bill Minkey. Note: People often ask if this is part of the Dwarf Tomato Project. It is not a true project Dwarf, but rather a compact, semi-determinate variety. 🌿 Plant Habit: Semi-determinate. In a greenhouse setting, it typically … 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): 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): Dwarf Chocolate Lightning 🌍 Origin: A fantastic release from the international Dwarf Tomato Project. It was developed from a cross between ‘Beauty King’ and ‘Dwarf Wild Fred’. 🌿 Plant Habit: Tree-type dwarf. A very vigorous plant with dark green rugose (crinkled) foliage and thick, sturdy central stems. Indoors or in a … Read more