Types of Tomatoes – Solanum Lycopersicum

Tomatoes are a favorite garden vegetable to grow due to their easy-to-grow nature and literal rainbow of colors sizes available. Tomatoes are available in two different growing patterns: determinate and indeterminate. Determinate tomatoes produce flowers and fruit in a set time frame and are typically bushier. Indeterminates grow more vine-like and require staking, and produce their fruit over a longer period of time.

Tomato Types

Heirloom Types

Grown for their unusual and varying shapes, sizes, colors, and flavors, these are traditionally old-fashioned styles of tomatoes. These are open-pollinated tomatoes. They are non-hybrid, meaning their seeds bear true to fruit. Seeds are often prized, and are often kept and traded with other gardeners. ‘Brandywine’ is a popular heirloom tomato variety.

Paste Type

These tomatoes have thicker walls and relatively little seeds and juice within which make them favorites for sauce making and for tomato concasse. They are also called plum tomatoes. ‘Roma’ and ‘San Marzano’ are popular paste-type tomatoes.

Hybrid Types

These tomato plants are cross-pollinated, or have controlled parental lines, making the fruit more uniform in shape, color, and flavor. Some varieties are grown to be resistant to certain plant diseases. ‘Big Beef Tomato’ is a great tasting hybrid.

Cherry and Grape Types

These tomato plants produce fruit that are small – from large grapes to very tiny currant sizes. Varieties can be bite-sized rounded, oval pear shaped, or even tiny currant sized. ‘Red Cherry’ and ‘Sweet Million’ are examples of these types of tomatoes.

Large Fruit Types and Beefsteak Tomatoes

These tomatoes are very large and can weigh up to a pound or more when fully ripe. Their shapes are irregular and not evenly rounded or oval. With their large size, they are ideal candidates for a tomato sandwich as a thick slice from a beefsteak may runneth over a typical slice of bread. ‘Goliath’ produces fruit between 10 ounces to a pound. ‘Black Krim’ is an heirloom variety of beefsteak.

Standard, Compact or Patio Tomatoes

Standard tomato plants range in color and shape, and can be found for just about any climate, for example cool season or hot climate adaptable. These tomato plants can be determinate and indeterminate. ‘Celebrity’ is a standard tomato. These tomatoes are grown for their fruit size (not too large, not too small) or their plant size, since as some varieties can easily be grown in a small pot on a patio.

Novelty Tomatoes

Novelty tomatoes are grown almost exclusively a specific aspect such as their color, flavor, or even their storage ability when picked. ‘Mountain gold’ and Fahrenheit Blues’ are examples of novelty tomatoes.