39 Best Tomato Varieties to Grow in Your Garden, From Roma to Brandywine (2024)

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Alexandra Jones

Alexandra Jones is an avid urban grower and Master Gardener writing about houseplants, gardening, and sustainability from her home in Philadelphia. She has 10 years of gardening experience and five years of professional writing expertise.

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Updated on 10/06/23

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39 Best Tomato Varieties to Grow in Your Garden, From Roma to Brandywine (2)

There are more than 10,000 tomato varieties available, and knowing the best ones to plant in your garden can be tough. Some are better for slicing, and others for saucing. Certain types grow well in containers, while others need lots of space to spread out. Some tomatoes ripen all at once, while others fruit throughout the season. Plus, there's color (such as yellow tomatoes), size, shape, and flavor to consider.

Tomatoes are grown as annuals in USDA hardiness zones 2 through 10. They require full sun—at least six to eight hours of bright sunlight per day—and rich, sandy loam soil. Many of the tomatoes listed here generally produce a crop sometime between 40 and 70 days after transplanting them into the garden. We included both determinate and indeterminate varieties. Here are 39 of the best tomato varieties for home gardeners to grow.

39 Best Tomato Varieties to Grow in Your Garden, From Roma to Brandywine (3)

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San Marzano

San Marzanos (Lycopersicon esculentum 'San Marzano') are exceptional heirloom paste tomatoes. Their sweet, less acidic flavor and fewer seeds than other varieties make them ideal for stewing or saucing. Because this variety is determinate, the fruit ripens all at once—making them perfect for cooking up a big batch of marinara sauce or salsa.
- Name: San Marzano
- Type: Determinate
- Use: Canning, sauce
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Sandy loam
- Mature Size: 6-8 ft. tall, 2-3 ft. wide
- Days to Maturity: 85-90 days
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Yellow Brandywine

Yellow Brandyiwine (Solanum lycopersicum'Brandywine, Yellow') produces golden-to-pale orange tomatoes with a bright, intense flavor that can weigh up to two pounds each. Stake Yellow Brandywine tomato plants well to support long vines with heavy fruits. This tomato is a is a potato-leaf heirloom.
- Name: Yellow Brandywine
- Type: Indeterminate
- Use: Slicer, salad
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Sandy loam
- Mature Size: 6 ft. tall
- Days to Maturity: 90 days
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Early Girl

Named for their relatively short time to harvest, Early Girl (Solanum lycopersicum'Early Girl') offers tennis ball-sized slicing tomatoes that are excellent on sandwiches or salads. Early Girl also offers disease resistance and pests, making it a go-to for the first crop of the season.
- Name: Early Girl
- Type: Indeterminate
- Use: Slicer
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Sandy loam
- Mature Size: 6-8 ft. tall, 2-3 ft. wide
- Days to Maturity: 50 days
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Lemon Boy

Mix things up with this mild, sweet slicing tomato (Solanum lycopersicum'Lemon Boy') and its beautiful yellow color. As an bonus, this tomato variety is resistant to several plant diseases.
- Name: Lemon Boy
- Type: Indeterminate
- Use: Slicer
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Sandy loam
- Mature Size: Over 4 ft. tall
- Days to Maturity: 72 days
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Roma

Roma (Solanum lycopersicum 'Roma') is a classic plum tomato, perfect for canning and saucing, as the oval-shaped fruits with dense flesh and few seeds ripen around the same time rather than throughout the growing season.
- Name: Roma
- Type: Determinate
- Use: Sauce, canning
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Sandy loam
- Mature Size: 3-5 ft. tall, 2-4 ft. wide
- Days to Maturity: 76 days
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Green Zebra

Often referred to as an heirloom tomato, the Green Zebra (Solanum lycopersicum'Green Zebra') variety is actually a hybrid of four different heirloom varieties. Known for their striped green skin, Green Zebra will add a pop of color and a burst of tangy flavor to your next heirloom tomato salad.
- Name: Green Zebra
- Type: Indeterminate
- Use: Slicer
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Sandy loam
- Mature Size: 4-6 ft. tall, 2-3 ft. wide
- Days to Maturity: 75 days
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Cherokee Purple

Known for large, sweet fruits and blush pink skin that fades to green, Cherokee Purples (Solanum lycopersicum'Cherokee Purple') are an iconic heirloom tomato. Be ready to give this disease-resistant variety a strong trellis, as its vines can grow up to nine feet long.
- Name: Cherokee Purple
- Type: Indeterminate
- Use: Slicer
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Sandy loam
- Mature Size: 4-6 ft. tall, 2-3 ft. wide
- Days to Maturity: 80 days
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Golden Roma

Like red romas, yellow romas (Solanum lycopersicum'Roma Golden') are meaty, dense, and flavorful, with few seeds. Use these prolific plum tomatoes to make a sweet, golden pasta sauce.
- Name: Golden Roma
- Type: Indeterminate
- Use: Sauce, canning
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Sandy loam
- Mature Size: 4-6 ft. tall, 2-3 ft. wide
- Days to Maturity: 75-90 days
See Also
Growing Tomatoes On A Horizontal Trellis – Urban Food Garden The Complete Guide to Growing Tomatoes on an Arch Trellis • Gardenary Tomato Trellising - Deciding Which Method is Right for You - The Beginner's Garden
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Black Krim

This Ukrainian heirloom tomato (Solanum lycopersicum‘Black Krim’) is known for its deep reddish-purple skin, squat shape, and ruffled shoulders. With a tangy, robust flavor, it's perfect for slicing into a garden salad or adding to a BLT.
- Name: Black Krim
- Type: Indeterminate
- Use: Slicer
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Sandy loam
- Mature Size: 4-6 ft. tall, 2-3 ft. wide
- Days to Maturity: 70-90 days
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Yellow Pear

Tiny, pear-shaped tomatoes in a bright yellow color grow in thick clusters on plants with vines that can grow over eight feet in length. Use Yellow Pear (Solanum lycopersicum'Yellow Pear') to add color to tomato salads or snack on them out of hand.
- Name: Yellow Pear
- Type: Indeterminate
- Use: Snacking, salads
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Sandy loam
- Mature Size: 8-12 ft. tall, 2-3 ft. wide
- Days to Maturity: 80 days
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Blush Tiger

Get an early harvest with these compact yet prolific co*cktail tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum'Blush Tiger'). Fruits are 2 to 2.5 inches long, with a juicy, sweet flavor and snappy texture. Plus, plants are compact enough to grow in containers.
- Name: Blush Tiger
- Type: Indeterminate
- Use: Snacking, salad
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Sandy loam
- Mature Size: 3-4 ft. tall
- Days to Maturity: 60 days
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Sungold

Sweet and low in acid, these prolific orange cherry tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum'Sungold') are a favorite amongst home gardeners. Be sure to use strong stakes or cages, as the vines can grow up to 10 feet long.
- Name: Sungold
- Type: Indeterminate
- Use: Snacking, salad
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Sandy loam
- Mature Size: 6-10 ft. tall
- Days to Maturity: 55-65 days
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Zebra Cherry

Grow these unique cherry tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum'Black Zebra Cherry') in a hanging basket to save space and show off clusters of colorful fruits with firm, deep red flesh.
- Name: Zebra Cherry
- Type: Indeterminate
- Use: Snacking, salads
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Sandy loam
- Mature Size: 2 ft. wide
- Days to Maturity: 70 days
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Pink Brandywine

This centuries-old heirloom (Solanum lycopersicum 'Brandywine') makes up for lower-than-average production with big, flavorful fruits with beautiful deep pink skin that can weigh in at over one pound each. The plant is known for its smooth-edged "potato leaves."
- Name: Pink Brandywine
- Type: Indeterminate
- Use: Slicer
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Sandy loam
- Mature Size: 4-6 ft. tall, 2-3 ft. spread
- Days to Maturity: 78 days
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Sweet Million

Classic cherry tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum'Sweet Million') are one of the easiest and most delicious tomato varieties to grow. Harvest the prolific red fruits frequently to keep production going all the way to the last frost.
- Name: Sweet Million
- Type: Indeterminate
- Use: Snacking, salad
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Sandy loam
- Mature Size: 3-5 ft. tall
- Days to Maturity: 60 days
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Beauty King

These luminous heirloom slicers (Solanum lycopersicum'Beauty King') are a cross between Green Zebra and Big Rainbow tomato varieties, with tons of flavor and gorgeous bi-color flesh to match. Fruits can grow as large as 1 pound each.
- Name: Beauty King
- Type: Indeterminate
- Use: Slicer
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Sandy loam
- Mature Size: 4-7 ft. tall
- Days to Maturity: 75-90 days
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Black Prince

Native to Siberia, this early-ripening heirloom (Solanum lycopersicum'Black Prince') is ideal for growing in cooler climates. Provide strong stakes for its long, robust vines.
- Name: Black Prince
- Type: Determinate
- Use: Salad, slicer
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Sandy loam
- Mature Size: Over 4 ft. tall
- Days to Maturity: 60-70 days
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Dr. Wyche's Yellow

Grow this rare heirloom tomato (Solanum lycopersicum'Dr. Wyche's Yellow') known for its sizeable orange-yellow fruits. Unlike some yellow heirlooms, which can be milder in flavor, this one is meaty and robust with fewer seeds.
- Name: Dr. Wyche's Yellow
- Type: Indeterminate
- Use: Slicer
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Sandy loam
- Mature Size: 4-6 ft. tall
- Days to Maturity: 80 days
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Oxheart

These beefsteak-style tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum'Oxheart') are named for their unique heart shape, hefty size (1 to 2 pounds each,) and dense, meaty flesh.
- Name: Oxheart
- Type: Indeterminate
- Use: Sauce, salads
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Sandy loam
- Mature Size: 6-8 ft. tall, 2 ft. wide
- Days to Maturity: 88 days
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Basinga

This beefsteak-type yellow heirloom (Solanum lycopersicum'Basinga') produces an abundance of sweet, hefty fruits around half a pound each. Provide good support for this indeterminate variety.
- Name: Basinga
- Type: Indeterminate
- Use: Slicer
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Sandy loam
- Mature Size: 4-6 ft. tall
- Days to Maturity: 80 days
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Datterino Tigrato

A rare small tomato from Italy, Datterino Tigrato (Solanum lycopersicum pomodoro 'Datterino') sports colorful, reddish-green skin with an almost metallic sheen. Abundant fruits are sweet and flavorful for cooking or eating raw.
- Name: Datterino Tigrato
- Type: Indeterminate
- Use: Sauce, salad
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Sandy loam
- Mature Size: 2-3 ft. tall
- Days to Maturity: 90 days
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Better Boy

This popular variety (Solanum lycopersicum‘Better Boy’) is quite easy to grow thanks to its disease resistance. Fruits have shiny, smooth skin in a classic red shade with a balanced tomato flavor.
- Name: Better Boy
- Type: Indeterminate
- Use: Slicer, salad
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Sandy loam
- Mature Size: 5-8 ft. tall
- Days to Maturity: 70-75 days
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Pink Accordion

This distinctive mid-season tomato, Pink Accordian (Solanum lycopersicum'Pink Accordion') is named for the pronounced "ruffles" that extend from the shoulders to the blossom end. Fruits are mild in flavor and slightly hollow inside, making them great for stuffing.
- Name: Pink Accordion
- Type: Indeterminate
- Use: Slicer, stuffing
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Sandy loam
- Mature Size: Up to 10 ft. tall
- Days to Maturity: 80 days
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Indigo Rose

Indigo Rose (Solanum lycopersicum'Indigo Rose') are clusters of shiny, antioxidant-rich fruits ripen first with purple over green, which turns to deep red when ripe. Support these sweet yet tangy tomatoes with stakes or cages.
- Name: Indigo Rose
- Type: Indeterminate
- Use: Salad, snacking
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Sandy loam
- Mature Size: 5 ft. tall
- Days to Maturity: 65-plus days
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Raspberry Oxheart

Sizeable, bold-flavored fruits (Solanum lycopersicum'Oxheart Raspberry') ripen mid-season and weigh in at around half a pound each. The dense, meaty flesh makes this heirloom a great sauce tomato.
- Name: Raspberry Oxheart
- Type: Indeterminate
- Use: Slicer, sauce
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Sandy loam
- Mature Size: 5 ft. tall
- Days to Maturity: 75 days
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Pineapple

Huge golden fruits streaked with pink can grow as large as 2 pounds, with sweet, citrusy flesh. Pineapple (Solanum lycopersicum 'Pineapple') combines the low acidity of a yellow tomato and the tangy taste of a red one.
- Name: Pineapple
- Type: Indeterminate
- Use: Slicer, salad
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Sandy loam
- Mature Size: Up to 6 ft. tall
- Days to Maturity: 85 days
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Earl of Edgecombe

This mid-sized orange tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum 'Earl of Edgecombe') known for its smooth flesh and balanced flavor comes to us from England by way of New Zealand. Plant it if you're looking for an heirloom that's resistant to problems like blossom-end rot and cracking.
- Name: Earl of Edgecombe
- Type: Indeterminate
- Use: Slicer, salad
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Sandy loam
- Mature Size: 6-8 ft. tall
- Days to Maturity: 73 days
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Bush Early Girl

This compact, vigorous Early Girl hybrid (Solanum lycopersicum 'Bush Early Girl') is a bush type perfect for growing in cooler regions or small spaces. It's also resistant to common tomato plant diseases.
- Name: Bush Early Girl
- Type: Determinate
- Use: Slicer, sauce, canning
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Sandy loam
- Mature Size: 2-4 ft. tall
- Days to Maturity: 54 days
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Marglobe Improved

Bred for strong disease resistance, this firm, flavorful tomato (Solanum lycopersicum 'Marglobe Improved') is excellent for turning into tomato sauce, since fruits will all ripen around the same time.
- Name: Marglobe Improved
- Type: Determinate
- Use: Canning, sauces
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Sandy loam
- Mature Size: 3 ft. tall
- Days to Maturity: 70 days
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Tasmanian Chocolate

This heirloom variety (Solanum lycopersicum 'Tasmanian Chocolate') is perfect for growing in containers or raised beds where space is at a premium. This variety produced heavy, juicy fruits, so be sure to use strong stakes.
- Name: Tasmanian Chocolate
- Type: Determinate
- Use: Slicer, salad
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Sandy loam
- Mature Size: 3 ft. tall
- Days to Maturity: 80-85 days
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Sun Sugar Yellow Cherry

As their name suggests, these little golden tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum 'Yellow Cherry') offer a burst of sweetness in each bite. Easy-growing, disease-resistant plants produce an abundance of fruit throughout the season.
- Name: Sun Sugar Yellow Cherry
- Type: Indeterminate
- Use: Salad, snacking
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Sandy loam
- Mature Size: 7 ft. tall
- Days to Maturity: 75 days
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Bush Beefsteak

'Bush Beefsteak' (Solanum lycopersicum 'Bush Beefsteak'), also known as 'BushSteak', produces a harvest in 62 days after transplanting. It produces plenty of deep red 8 to 12-ounce sweet tomatoes that have that rich beefsteak taste. The compact,bushy plantsare a good choice for containers where you can't grow the larger varieties.
- Name: Bush Beefsteak, BushSteak
- Type: Determinate
- Use: Salads, slicer
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Fertile, well-drained
- Mature Size: 2-3 ft. tall
- Days to Maturity: 62 days
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Cold Set

In about 65 days, 'Cold Set' (Solanum lycopersicum 'Cold Set') produces the first harvest of 4-inch red, round tomatoes. Catalogs claim that you can sow the seeds directly into your garden and that the seedlings can withstand temperatures as low as 18 degrees Fahrenheit, but indoor sowing is generally a better bet. These tomatoes are bred in Canada.
- Name: Cold Set
- Type: Determinate
- Use: Sandwiches, salads, slicer
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Well-drained
- Mature Size: 6 ft. tall
- Days to Maturity: 60-65 days
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Manitoba

This Canadian variety (Solanum lycopersicum 'Manitoba') is a vigorous grower that produces a crop around 65 days after planting. It produces heavy yields of 3 to 4-inch round, red fruits that have a tangy, very "tomato-ey" flavor.
- Name: Manitoba
- Type: Determinate
- Use: Slicer, preserves
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Fertile, well-drained
- Mature Size: 6 ft. tall
- Days to Maturity: 65 days
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Gardener's Delight

This very productive old German heirloom variety (Lycopersicon esculentum 'Gardener's Delight') produces its first crop around 65 days after planting. The red, cherry tomatoes are so sweet that 'Gardener's Delight' is also commonly called 'Sugar Lump.' The plant bears clusters of six to twelve tomatoes all season long.
- Name: Gardener's Delight
- Type: Indeterminate
- Use: Salads, snacks, sauces, soups
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Rich, moist, organic
- Mature Size: 4 ft. tall
- Days to Maturity: 65-70 days
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Matina

'Matina' (Solanum lycopersicum 'Matina') is also a German heirloom and this cool-weather tomato produces a crop in about 70 days. The potato-leafed plants bear clusters of 3-inch red, round tomatoes throughout the growing season. The tomatoes have a good, beefsteak tomato flavor.
- Name: Matina
- Type: Indeterminate
- Use: Sandwiches, sauces, cooking, salads
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Clay to loam
- Mature Size: 6 ft. tall
- Days to Maturity: 70 days
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Silvery Fir Tree

'Silvery Fir Tree' (Solanum lycopersicum 'Silvery Fir Tree') is a pretty Russian variety with unique, silvery-gray, carrot-like foliage. These compact plants are a great option for those who want togrow tomatoes in containers, even in hanging baskets. It produces a crop of smallish orange fruits 58 days after planting. The fruits have a lot of gel for their size, and the tang of the gel is balanced by the mild flavor of the flesh. 'Silvery Fir Tree' was introduced by Seed Savers International in 1995.
- Name: Silvery Fir Tree
- Type: Determinate
- Use: Snacks, slicer, sauces, roasting, canning, freezing
- Light: Well-drained
- Soil: Full sun
- Mature Size: 2 ft. tall
- Days to Maturity: 58-plus days
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Sophie's Choice

This Canadian cold-tolerant variety (Solanum lycopersicum 'Sophie's Choice') produces a heavy crop of small to medium 6 to 8-ounce fruits about 55 days after planting. The fruit of 'Sophie's Choice' has orangish-red skin, a deep red interior, and a good tangy flavor. The compact plants grow to about 24 inches tall, making this a good option for container growing or small, square-foot gardening.
- Name: Sophie's Choice
- Type: Determinate
- Use: Sandwiches, slicer, salads
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Fertile, well-drained
- Mature Size: 2 ft. tall
- Days to Maturity: 55 days
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Subarctic Plenty

Dubbed "the world's earliest tomato," 'Subarctic Plenty' (Solanum lycopersicum. 'Subarctic Plenty') produces a harvest of 4-ounce red, round fruits about 42 days after planting. The tangy little tomatoes are great in salads, and they are larger than cherry or grape tomatoes for slicing onto sandwiches. It was bred in Canada and is a good, disease-resistant variety.
- Name: Subarctic Plenty
- Type: Determinate
- Use: Salads, snacks, sandwiches
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Well-drained
- Mature Size: 4 ft. tall
- Days to Maturity: 42 days

Learn More

Once you've chosen which tomato varieties to plant in your garden, learn everything you need to know to help them thrive all season long.

Beginner Tips for Growing Plumper Heirloom Tomatoes
Keep Your Tomatoes From Splitting
When and How to Prune Indeterminate Tomatoes for the Best Crop

Total Tomato Growing Guide: How to Plant, Grow, and Harvest Tomatoes

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Selecting the Best Tomato Varieties for Your Garden. North Carolina State University.

39 Best Tomato Varieties to Grow in Your Garden, From Roma to Brandywine (2024)

San Marzano

Yellow Brandywine

Early Girl

Lemon Boy

Roma

Green Zebra

Cherokee Purple

Golden Roma

Black Krim

Yellow Pear

Blush Tiger

Sungold

Zebra Cherry

Pink Brandywine

Sweet Million

Beauty King

Black Prince

Dr. Wyche's Yellow

Oxheart

Basinga

Datterino Tigrato

Better Boy

Pink Accordion

Indigo Rose

Raspberry Oxheart

Pineapple

Earl of Edgecombe

Bush Early Girl

Marglobe Improved

Tasmanian Chocolate

Sun Sugar Yellow Cherry

Bush Beefsteak

Cold Set

Manitoba

Gardener's Delight

Matina

Silvery Fir Tree

Sophie's Choice

Subarctic Plenty

Learn More