Technically a type of tomatillo, but with an amazing fruity taste! Fruits grow in little papery husks (I call them their jackets) and drop to the ground when ripe. Delicious pineapple / mango/vanilla flavor! One of our favorite things to grow in the summer, for a treat right there in the garden. Lots of fun for kids and adults alike!
Height: 1.5 to 3 ft
Also known as dinosaur or Tuscan kale. An heirloom variety with long, dark blue-green, bumpy leaves that resemble dinosaur skin, offering a sweeter, more delicate flavor than curly kale. It's a cold-hardy, nutritious plant that grows up to three feet tall, resembling miniature palm trees, and is used in salads, soups, and sautéed dishes, with its flavor enhanced by frost.
Height: 1.5 to 3 ft
Hot Mexican chile pepper that provides 2-4" fruits all summer (very prolific!) and is great for drying, seasoning, pickling. I add them to my pickled okra jars for the perfect kick! 15,000-30,000 SHU.
Height: 2 to 4ft
Mild rich, smoky, and slightly sweet Mexican pepper essential for authentic mole sauces. (1,000–2,500 SHU). Dark green, slender pods that mature to a dark, wrinkled brown.
Height: 2 to 3ft
All of the fruity and floral notes of the habanero without the heat! Produces heavily late in the season (Aug-Sept)
Height: 1.5 to 3ft
Essential for making kimchi, stews (jjigae), Gochujang chili paste, or gochugaru (flakes). 1,500–10,000 SHU, typically 3–6 inches long
Height: 2 to 4ft
Highly productive, known for its sweet, tropical, and slightly citrusy flavor, paired with a significant but slow-building heat (roughly 50,000–150,000+ SHU)
Height: 4 to 5ft
Mild Mexican pepper. Good dried for seasoning (Ancho) or stuffed (fresh). Harvest green, or ripen to red for more heat and sweetness. 1000-2000 SHU
Height: 2.5 to 4ft
From Japan - Great for an appetizer when blistered in olive oil and served with salt. Typically mild but with a surprise: about one in ten can be surprisingly spicy!
Height: 2 to 3ft
High-yielding heirloom; Ideal for salsa verde! Heat-tolerant, producing 3–4 oz apple-green fruits.
Height: 2 to 4ft
High-yielding, indeterminate heirloom. 1-inch, dark purple-brown fruits with a sweet, complex flavor - slightly smoky or wine-like. Similar to the taste of Cherokee Purples (delicious large slicers, see below), but in a smaller fruit!
Height: 4 to 8ft
Large, beefsteak-type. Popular indeterminate heirloom known for its rich, sweet, smoky flavor and deep, dusky rose-purple color. A reliable long-time favorite and great for salads, slicing for sandwiches, and in sauce and pies!
Height: 4 to 6ft
A highly productive, indeterminate heirloom known for producing massive yields of sweet/tart 1" bright red fruits that are resistant to cracking.high vitamin C content, and high levels of GABA (which puts the "peace" in Peacevine!). If you want cascades of tomato clusters, Peacevine (and Fox Cherry, below) are great choices!
Height: 4 to 7ft
Indeterminate, early-bearing heirloom beefsteak-type tomato known for its large (8–12 oz), port-wine-colored fruit with metallic green stripes. Renowned for it's excellent rich, sweet, and complex flavor (some say even better than Cherokee Purples), these plants are vigorous and strong, highly productive, heat-tolerant and disease-resistant.
Height: 5 to 7ft
High-yielding bicolor grape tomato developed by Rutgers University, noted for its sweet, intense flavor, crack-resistant skin, and striking yellow-red blush appearance. Open pollinated after years of breeding work to achieve the shape and crack-resistance of a high-performing commercial red grape, and the sweetness, flavor and beauty of a bicolored cherry.
Height: 6 to 8ft
Indeterminate, heirloom cherry tomatoknown for its golden-yellow, pink-striped skin and fruity, balanced flavor. Large for a cherry, at about 1.5", they're almost a 'cocktail' tomato size (about the size of a ping pong ball)
Height: 6 to 7ft
Heavy-setting determinate (bush) heirloom tomato variety known for high yields of 4-inch, bright yellow, banana-shaped fruits with light stripes. Ideal for sauces, salads, roasting, or canning. This one thrives in containers, raised beds, or in rows.
Height: 2 to 4ft
Indeterminate heirloom. Small, 1-inch, pear-shaped brownish-purple fruit are rich, tangy, and have a balanced savory-sweet profile, with earthy sweetness and a hint of smokiness. Ideal for fresh snacking, colorful salads, and gourmet platters. Plants are high-yielding and vigorous.
Height: 5 to 6ft
Compact indeterminate. Vigorous yet compact plants yield small, glossy fruits that blush from deep midnight blue to crimson red. Ideal for garden beds or large containers.
Height: 3-4 ft
Vigorous indeterminate. Bursting with vibrant sweetness, these are high-climbers that yield a cascade of organic, flavor-packed jewels perfect for salads and snacking. Ideal for trellising, cages, and vertical garden setups. Another great on-the-vine cluster option (also, see Peacevine above!).
Height: 4 to 6ft
Indeterminate, high-yielding variety. Deep rose-pink/purple, thin-skinned fruits that offer a complex flavor profile, balancing sweetness with a subtle tartness that enhances both raw and cooked dishes. Their fruity flavor is said to be reminiscent of berries.
Height: 5 to 7ft
A super beautiful heirloom beefsteak tomato; highly productive, indeterminate. Delicious flavor is rich and fruity, reminiscent of pineapple. Anthocyanin-rich, Alice's Dream is packed with antioxidants!
Height: 5 to 7ft
Vigorous and productive heirloom plants. Plants offer a diverse range of tomato color (from yellow to deep orange) but consistently delicious, tending strongly toward a intensely fruity, sweet, luscious flavor. Always a heavy producer, from early summer to frost! Some say these cherry tomatoes are comparable to Sungolds, but milder, and are disease resistant, open-pollinated heirlooms (rather than hybrids). Major climbers - great for trellises and tomato ladders!
Height: 7 to 8ft