Stephen Albert
Tomato seed from open-pollinated varieties can be saved for planting next year. Open-pollinated plants pollinate each other in the open garden. Because tomatoes are self-pollinating plants (meaning male and female flower parts exist on the same flower), open-pollinated tomatoes are generally predictable and consistent. Collect seed from any of these tomatoes for planting again next season.
Open-Pollinated Tomatoes:
1884. 78 days. Indeterminate; red beefsteak.
Abraham Lincoln. 80-90 days. Indeterminate; red globe shape.
Ace 55. 80 days. Indeterminate; red globe shape.
Aker’s West Virginia. 85 days. Indeterminate; red beefsteak.
Amish Paste. 85 days. Indeterminate; red paste.
Amana Orange. 90 days. Indeterminate; orange beefsteak.
Anna Russian. 70 days. Indeterminate; red oxheart.
Arkansas Traveler. 85 days. Indeterminate; pink globe shape.
Aunt Ginny’s Purple. 80 days. Indeterminate; black-purple beefsteak.
Aunt Ruby’s German. 80 days. Indeterminate; green beefsteak.
Aussie. 85 days. Indeterminate; red beefsteak.
Azoychka. 60 days. Indeterminate; yellow globe.
Banana Legs. 75 days. Indeterminate; yellow paste.
Bear Creek. Indeterminate; black-purple globe shape.
Beefsteak. 90 days. Indeterminate; red beefsteak.
Big Rainbow. 90-100 days. Indeterminate; red-orange multicolor beefsteak.
Black Cherry. 65 days. Indeterminate; black-purple cherry.
Black Russian. 75 days. Indeterminate; black-purple globe shape.
Black Krim. 75 days. Indeterminate; red globe shape.
Black Zebra. 85 days. Indeterminate; multi-color globe.
Blondkopfchen. 75-80 days. Indeterminate; yellow cherry.
Bloody Butcher. 55 days. Indeterminate; red globe shape.
Bonny Best. 75 days. Indeterminate; red globe shape.
Box Car Willie. 80 days. Indeterminate; red globe shape.
Brandywine. 90 days. Indeterminate; pink-red beefsteak.
Bull’s Heart. 87 days. Indeterminate; red oxheart.
Burbank. 80 days. Determinate; red globe shape.
Cherokee. 80 days. Determinate; large red globe shape.
Cherokee Purple. 80 days. Indeterminate; black-purple globe shape.
Chocolate Cherokee. 80 days. Indeterminate; black-purple globe shape.
Costoluto Fiorentino. 80 days. Indeterminate; red ribbed.
Costoluto Genovese. 78 days. Indeterminate; red ribbed.
Crimson Cushion. 90 days. Indeterminate; large red ribbed.
Dad’s Mug. 90 days. Indeterminate; pink-red mug shape.
Dad’s Sunset. 75 days. Indeterminate; golden-orange round.
Delicious. 77 days. Indeterminate; red globe shape.
Dinner Plate. 90-100 days. Indeterminate; red hear-shape.
Dora. 80-85 days. Indeterminate; black-purple globe shape.
Druzba. 80-85 days. Indeterminate; red globe shape.
Dorothy’s Green. 80 days. Indeterminate; green ribbed.
Dutchman. 80 days. Indeterminate; purple-pink scalloped.
Dwarf Champion. 80 days. Tree; pink globe shape.
Earliana. 65 days. Indeterminate; red globe shape.
Early Swedish. Indeterminate; red small round.
Emerald Evergreen. 76 days. Indeterminate; green globe shape.
Garden Peach. 75-85 days. Indeterminate; yellow clusters.
German Giant. 77 days. Indeterminate; deep pink beefsteak.
German Pink. 78 days. Indeterminate; pink beefsteak.
German Red Strawberry. 85 days. Indeterminate; red oxheart.
Giant Belgium. 85 days. Indeterminate; large golden yellow.
Giant Paste. 75 days. Indeterminate; elongated red paste.
Golden Queen. 75 days. Indeterminate; golden globe shape.
Goldie. 85-95 days. Indeterminate; golden beefsteak.
Goliath. 85 days. Indeterminate; dark pink ribbed.
Great White. 85 days. Indeterminate; white beefsteak.
Green Bell Pepper. 76 days. Indeterminate; green globe shape.
Green Grape. 70 days. Determinate; yellow-green cherry.
Green Zebra. 78 days. Indeterminate; multi-color globe.
Hayslip. 75 days. Determinate; red globe shape.
Hillbilly. 85 days. Indeterminate; yellow-orange bicolor.
Hungarian Heart. 85 days. Indeterminate; red oxheart.
Ida Gold. 59 days. Determinate; orange globe.
Jubilee. 72 days. Indeterminate; golden yellow canning.
Liz Birt. 75 days. Indeterminate; red beefsteak.
Marglobe. 75 days. Determinate; red globe shape.
Marmande. 65 days. Semi-determinate; red ribbed.
Marvel Stripe. 85 days. Indeterminate; yellow-orange bicolor ribbed.
Matchless. 85 days. Indeterminate; red flattened.
Matt’s Wild Cherry. 55 day. Indeterminate; red cherry.
Mister Stripey. 56 days. Indeterminate; multi-color beefsteak.
Moneymaker. 80 days. Indeterminate; red globe shape.
Mortgage Lifter. 80-85 days. Indeterminate; red beefsteak.
Mule Team. 80 days. Indeterminate; red glove shape.
Moskvich. 60 days. Indeterminate; red globe shape.
Nepal. 80 days. Indeterminate; red globe shape.
New Big Dwarf. 90 days. Tree; pink beefsteak.
Orange Jubilee. 70-80 days. Indeterminate; orange paste.
Oregon Spring. 56 days. Determinate; red globe shape.
Oxheart. 80 days. Indeterminate; red oxheart.
Pantano Romanesco. 80 days. Indeterminate; red scalloped.
Paul Robeson. 75 days. Indeterminate; black beefsteak.
Peron. 68 days. Indeterminate; red globe shape.
Persimmon. 80 days. Indeterminate; golden-orange ribbed.
Pineapple. 85 days. Indeterminate; red-yellow bicolor ribbed.
Polish Linguisa. 73 days. Indeterminate; red sausage-shaped paste.
Ponderosa. 88 days. Indeterminate; large purple-pink flattened.
Ponderosa Pink. 80 days. Tree; pink beefsteak.
Porter’s Pride. 70 days. Indeterminate; red globe shape.
Principe Borghese. 75 days. Determinate; red plum-shaped paste.
Pruden’s Purple. 75 days. Indeterminate; dark pink globe shape.
Red Brandywine. 100 days. Indeterminate; red beefsteak.
Red Cherry. 75 days. Indeterminate; red cherry.
Red Currant. 70 days. Indeterminate; red cherry.
Red Pear. 78 days. Indeterminate; red miniature pear-shape.
Reiner. 80-85 days. Determinate; red beefsteak.
Roma. 75 days. Determinate; red paste.
Ruffled Yellow. 80 days; Indeterminate; yellow pleated shape.
Rutgers. 75 days. Determinate; red globe shape.
San Marzano. 85 days. Indeterminate; red paste.
Siberia. 50 days. Determinate; red globe shape.
Sioux. 70 days. Indeterminate; red globe shape.
Snow White Cherry. 70 days. Indeterminate; white cherry.
Stone. 79 days. Indeterminate; red globe shape.
Striped German. 78 days. Indeterminate; yellow-red large ribbed.
Stupice. 52 days. Indeterminate; red globe shape.
Sundrop. 70-76 days. Indeterminate; small orange globe shape.
Super Italian Paste. 73 days. Indeterminate; red paste.
Sweetie. 70 days. Indeterminate; red cherry.
Tappy’s Finest. 77 days. Indeterminate; pink-red large globe shape.
Thessaloniki. 75 days. Indeterminate; large red globe shape.
Tigerella. 59 days. Indeterminate; multi-color globe.
Tiny Tim. 45 days. Bush; red cherry.
Ugly. 75 days. Indeterminate; red ribbed beefsteak,
Valena Pink. 85 days. Indeterminate; pink beefsteak.
Valencia. 76 days. Indeterminate; orange fruit.
Variegated. 75 days. Indeterminate; red globe shape.
Violaceum Krypni-Rozo. 80 days. Indeterminate; pink scalloped.
Watermelon Beefsteak. 75 days. Indeterminate; scalloped pink beefsteak.
White Wonder. 80 days. Indeterminate; white beefsteak.
Yellow Brandywine. 100 days. Indeterminate; yellow beefsteak.
Yellow Currant. 70 days. Indeterminate; yellow cherry.
Yellow Marble. 66 days. Indeterminate; yellow cherry.
Yellow Pear. 78 days. Indeterminate; yellow miniature pear-shape.
Zapotec Pink Ribbed. 80 days. Indeterminate; pink ribbed.
(There are as many as 3,000 open-pollinated tomato varieties. If I missed your favorite, send me an email and I will include it.)
Heirloom tomatoes. An heirloom tomato is any open-pollinated variety that is at least 50 years old. Heirlooms have not been hybridized and so may not have the disease resistance or wide adaptability that hybrid tomatoes usually have.
Hybrid seed. Hybrid seeds are created by crossing two plants–taking the pollen from one flower to fertilize a flower from a similar plant, resulting in a seed that has the specific characteristics of its selected parents. Hybrids are commonly inbred lines and the seed from a hybrid will not grow true to the specific genetic information bred into it.
