25 Unique and Colorful Heirloom Tomatoes

The term "heirloom" tomato often refers to a species with pure genetics—a "parent" species that's not the product of hybridization. These are open-pollinated tomatoes, meaning that they're pollinated by physical transmission of pollen from one flower to the next, either by hand, wind, or insects. Unlike most hybrid tomatoes, these produce seeds that "come true," germinating and sprouting into plants that look the same as the host plant. There are several seed-saver organizations that are largely responsible for preserving these heirloom varieties, and many are now offered for sale by seed companies.

There's an increasing amount of interest in heirloom tomatoes since they often have very unusual appearances and are sometimes more flavorful than hybrid tomatoes, which have been selectively bred to have a bright red color, a long shelf life, and a predictable taste. Many heirloom tomatoes produce fruits that are black, purple, brown, yellow, pink, or white, and some are even bicolored and striped.

Consider heirlooms the party favors of the tomato world—once you've grown these festive fruits, your garden (and kitchen) will never be the same. The sheer popularity of heirloom tomatoes has opened the door to some selective crosses between heirlooms, which produce varieties that are technically hybrids yet are still open-pollinated plants, regarded in the trade as heirlooms.

Genetics of Heirloom Tomatoes

Most heirloom tomatoes are cultivars or crosses derived from the Lycopersicon lycopersicum species. Most commercial hybrid tomatoes, however, belong to the Lycopersicon esculentum species. (Some experts argue that tomatoes more properly belong to the Solanum genus, the former designation.) L. lycopersicum is originally native to western South America, but it has been cultivated so long that many varieties have now become associated with the regions where they gained popularity, from West Virginia to Russia.

Tomatoes, in general, including L. lycopersicum, are perennial plants in USDA hardiness zones 10–11. But they're grown as annuals in any zone where there's a sufficiently long and warm growing season, from zones 3–11. In far northern climates, these tomatoes are sometimes grown in greenhouses in order to achieve the 75–90 days required for the plants to mature and produce fruit. Southern gardeners may grow them as perennials. These are indeterminate tomatoes, meaning they continue to produce fruit for the entire growing season after they mature.

For gardeners looking for some different (and delicious) varieties to try, consider these 25 open-pollinated, heirloom tomatoes that boast surprising colors and patterns.