by Jennifer Poindexter
We should all be eating various colored foods each day. Did you know that different colored foods have different nutrients?
Therefore, the more colors of food you consume, the more variations of nutrients you’ll consume as well.
Let’s start adding different nutrients to our diets by growing purple tomatoes. Purple foods are known for being high in anthocyanin and are thought to boost your mood. All of this is good for your brain.
If you’re ready to provide color to your garden and diet, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve compiled a list of the varieties of tomatoes that grow in shades of purple.
Here are some ideas for growing purple tomatoes in your garden:
1. Brad’s Black Heart
Brad’s black heart is an indeterminate variety of tomato plant. This means it will produce until the end of the season. This type of tomato produces twelve-ounce fruits. However, they aren’t solid purple.
Instead, they’re a mixture of pink and black which gives them a purple hue. As the name suggests, the fruit of this plant is heart shaped. It takes approximately eighty days for these plants to reach maturity.
2. Purple Boy
Purple boy is another indeterminate variety of tomato. The color purple comes out a little richer in this option.
These tomatoes are known for being sturdy and disease resistant. The fruit of this plant is around seven ounces, and it takes around eighty days for the plant to reach maturity.
3. Rosella
The rosella tomato is an indeterminate dwarf variety. This plant produces medium-sized tomatoes that are around six ounces.
You can expect rosella tomato plants to reach maturity in approximately seventy-five days. If you need a smaller plant with larger fruit, this could be the tomato variety for you.
4. Black Beauty
Are you partial to heirloom varieties of tomatoes? This could be the purple variety for you. Black beauty is an indeterminate, heirloom tomato that produces deep purple produce.
This type of tomato is the darkest variety available. Expect these tomato plants to become three feet tall and produce fruit between three and six ounces in size.
5. Purple Russian
Purple Russian is an heirloom tomato that originated in Ukraine. It’s an indeterminate variety that produces elongated tomatoes.
The fruits are typically three inches long and weigh around six ounces. This variety of tomato takes around eighty days to reach maturity.
6. Cherokee Purple
Cherokee purple is another indeterminate variety of tomato. The tomatoes have a purple hue to their exterior and a pink, fleshy interior.
If you’d like a traditional, round tomato with a different color, this could be your variety. Cherokee purple tomatoes are around ten ounces, and the plant should reach maturity within ninety days.
7. Black Krim
Black krim is a darker purple variety of tomato. They’re indeterminate and take around eighty days to reach maturity.
However, this is a larger type of tomato. These tomatoes typically top out at sixteen ounces. If you’d like a rich purple sandwich tomato, this could be your variety.
8. Chef’s Choice Black Tomato
Chef’s choice black tomatoes are a darker purple variety. This is a beefsteak type tomato which makes it another great option for sandwiches or burgers.
This plant takes around seventy-five days to reach maturity. These tomatoes are approximately eight ounces at the time of harvest.
9. Chocolate Cherry
Do you prefer cherry tomatoes? Would you like them to be a rich purple color? Then this variety is for you.
The chocolate cherry tomato is an indeterminate variety that produces fruit in approximately seventy days. The tomatoes from this plant are uniformly round, grow in groups of eight, and are only one inch in diameter.
10. Evan’s Purple Pear
Evan’s purple pear is a smaller tomato. As the name suggests, the fruit of this plant is pear shaped. The tomatoes also have a purple hue to their exterior.
These plants are indeterminate, produce three ounce fruits, and reach maturity in eighty days. If you’d like to grow a uniquely colored and shaped tomato, this could be the variety you’ve been waiting for.
11. Wine Jug
Wine jug is another fun variety of purple tomatoes. The fruits of these plants are shaped like mini wine jugs. They also have a deep purple hue.
If you’re interested in growing your own wine jug tomatoes, make sure it aligns with your growing space. This plant is indeterminate, produces fruit as large as nine ounces, and can take up to eighty days to reach maturity.
12. Black Cherry
Black cherry tomatoes look similar to the chocolate cherry tomatoes we previously discussed. However, they’re a little larger than the chocolate cherry tomatoes.
These tomatoes are another indeterminate variety. They produce fruits that are about an inch and a half in diameter and take around seventy days to reach maturity.
13. Paul Robeson Tomato
Paul Robeson tomatoes are an indeterminate variety of plant. This means this variety will produce for a longer period of time and has a tendency to sprawl.
Ensure you have the room and the support available to properly care for this type of tomato. This plant produces tomatoes which are a burgundy red and the fruits grow to be around ten ounces. Paul Robeson tomatoes should reach maturity in seventy-five days.
14. Dwarf Purple Heart
Are you growing in a smaller area and need a compact tomato plant? The dwarf purple heart could be what you need.
This plant produces larger, maroon colored, heart shaped tomatoes. The fruits will weigh between six and sixteen ounces. The plant should reach maturity within seventy-five days.
15. Purple Calabash
The purple calabash is another beefsteak type tomato with a darker stem. Rich colors begin to fade the further you get from the stem. This variety of tomato is indeterminate and produces fruit as large as three inches in diameter.
However, this plant can take eighty or more days to reach maturity. These tomatoes are gorgeous, so hopefully you’ll feel they’re worth the wait.
16. Black Zebra Cherry
Anything with black zebra in the name is going to be fun. These tomatoes are no exception. This is a small cherry variety of tomato. However, the plant produces red tomatoes with zebra stripes that are deep purple.
This variety of tomato is indeterminate and takes about seventy-five days to reach maturity. The fruit averages between four and five centimeters in diameter.
17. Sunshine Blue
The name of this tomato might be confusing to some. You shouldn’t expect to see bright blue tomatoes forming on this plant. Instead, prepare to see deep purple tomatoes.
This is our first determinate variety on the list. Sunshine blue tomatoes are smaller. They typically grow to about two inches in diameter, and the plant can take up to one hundred days to reach maturity.
18. Purple Reign
Purple reign are larger tomatoes that have a red base in color with purple highlights running through the skin. This is another determinate variety that only grows to be around three feet tall.
The fruit is similar to a beefsteak tomato and usually weighs around twelve ounces. You should expect the plant to reach maturity within seventy to eighty days.
19. Indigo Ruby
If you’re looking for an eye-catching tomato, this one deserves your attention. The outside of the tomato is a deep purple. However, when you slice into it, the inside contains a red flesh.
Indigo ruby is a determinate variety which produces two-ounce fruits in groups of six. This plant will reach maturity in seventy-five days.
20. Purple Bumble Bee
The purple bumble bee is a smaller tomato variety that produces round tomatoes with a dark red hue and green stripes.
This is an indeterminate variety that produces longer vines. The fruits will hang from the vines and are ready for harvest when they’ve reached an inch and a half in diameter. The plant should reach maturity in seventy days.
21. Marizol Purple
This type of tomato produces round fruit that is pink with a hint of purple. They’re known for being sweeter on the palate as well. The fruits range anywhere from eight ounces to two pounds at the time of harvest.
Marizol purple is an indeterminate variety of tomato and can take up to eighty days to reach maturity. If you’d like a larger sandwich tomato with a sweet flavor, this variety could deserve your attention.
22. Owen’s Purple
Owen’s purple is a beautiful round tomato with a light purple skin. It’s another variety known for its sweeter flavor.
This tomato is indeterminate and can take up to seventy-five days to reach maturity. The tomatoes grow in groups and can weigh anywhere from six to sixteen ounces.
You now have a few options to pick from when adding colorful food to your garden. Consider the space you have as to whether you should choose a determinate or indeterminate variety.
However, you should also consider the size and flavor of the fruit you’re desiring. Use these tips to find your new favorite purple tomato.
More About Purple Tomatoes
https://horticulture.oregonstate.edu/oregon-vegetables/purple_tomato_faq
https://www.uaex.uada.edu/yard-garden/resource-library/plant-week/Lycopersicon-Cherokee-Purple-Tomato-07-17-2020.aspx
I planted some heirloom tomatoes (as well as others) in Oregon. Good size plants (not little tiny starts).
Then we had an unexpected freeze. Most of branches died and some of them died to the ground.
But I see new sprouts emerging from the root area.
A friend (who might not know what she is talking about) said that I should just pull up all of them and start all over. That the new branches would not be productive or worth it.
That does not make sense to me. It seems like the strong big roots will give the new growth a good head start. (And I cannot easily buy that many plants again, unless necessary)
Please share your knowledge. Thank you.