My Personal Favorites

A Few of Laurel's Favorites

People often ask, " Laurel, let's say you are about to be stranded on a deserted island, your canoe is sinking, and you have to swim to shore. You have 1 minute to grab your swim fins, snorkel, some garden tools, sun hat, a few CD's and 20 tomato seed varieties from among the hundreds you always have in your pockets. Which ones would you choose?"

"How about 50 ?", I always reply.

A Guide to the Symbols

(H) Hybrid. The few hybrids we list were developed with great flavor as the main criterion. These are delicious varieties which we have grown and taste-tested to ensure superior flavor.

(D) Determinate. Also known as 'bush' varieties, these plants are great for container growing or for your small garden. They reach a certain predetermined height and then stop growing. Most of the fruit is borne over a 4 to 6 week period.

Our Sunshine Symbol means this variety grows beautifully in all climates, and does especially well in sustained high heat but not hotter than 95º. Pollen normally becomes sterile above 95º

Extra heat tolerant.

   A specialty plant, developed to produce consistently in very hot weather, up to 97º- 98º.

    Our Penguin Symbol means this variety grows beautifully in all climates, and does especially well in cooler temperatures and produces late into the cool season.

    Grows beautifully in most climates and is extra cold tolerant. However, this does not mean North Dakota in winter. Your tomato plants need night temperatures consistently above 48º F.

(E) Early ripening variety, with 78 days or less to ripe tomatoes.

(VE) Very early varieties, usually less than 68 days from plant-out to ripe fruit.

(EE) Extremely early ripening varieties, ready to pick in only 45-60 days from planting.

  A good choice for growing in pots, and a variety which Laurel has already grown successfully in containers. Any heirloom tomato plant will grow well in a large 18 - 30 gallon container with proper growing techniques and the dwarf varieties can be grown in 5 -10 gallon containers.

See detailed container-growing info: Growing Tips

(Ch) A cherry tomato. These little fruits can be red, black, orange, pink, purple, green, yellow, ivory, white or bicolor and in varying shapes: round, pear, grape, ping pong, pea-sized and plum-shaped.

(B) A big tomato of at least 1 or 2 pounds.

(BB) A really big tomato. These 'super braggers' can reach 3 to 4 pounds.

(BBB) A ridiculously huge tomato, these prize winning giants can reach more than 5 lbs.

(SM) A small plant, great for containers or smaller garden spaces.

(VSM) A very small, dwarf type plant for small containers and tiny gardens.

(P-S) Paste or sauce type, especially popular for sauces. These tomatoes are richly flavored, ideal for cooking because flavors increase exponentially during the cooking process, and are also marvelous for fresh eating.

(HG) For your Historical or Heritage Garden. These are storied tomatoes with a fascinating history, including well-known historic varieties, some of them named after persons of high renown, or an historical event. Some are tomatoes with tall tales and legends attached to their names. Many have simply stood the test of time.

Days: Approximate time from planting the seedling to harvesting the ripe fruit. Can vary from climate to climate.

New for 2008! This means we are offering these varieties this year for the first time. Not necessarily a 'new' variety.

My Top 50

'Stranded On A Deserted Island' Favorites

For all 160 tomato varieties, click here: Our Tomato Varieties

Please note: Varieites available from August through November are listed here: Our Tomato Varieties and How to Order

Paul Robeson SOLD OUT FOR 2008 ($4.95) (VE) (HG) 65-70 days.

This is my all-time favorite tomato and one of our top sellers. It is a gorgeous, dark and dusky-hued fruit with intensely sweet earthy taste with a hint of tanginess, a luscious velvety smooth texture, beautiful skin, rich with juice. The seed was made available by Marina Danilenko, a Moscow seedswoman.

This luxurious tomato is named for Paul Robeson (1898-1976), the elegant, renowned and charismatic operatic singer, law school graduate, champion athlete, film star, stage actor, and boundlessly brave champion of civil and personal rights throughout the world. This marvelous plant will give you its perfect 3"- 4" fruit in only 65 days from planting. Incredible; a symphony. I do believe this is the finest tomato in existence.

Amy's Sugar Gem ($5.25) (VE) 65 days. This huge, sprawling plant produces heavy clusters of golf ball sized, incredibly delicious, deep red ambrosial fruit with tiny golden jewel-like sparkles within the red skin. Very sweet! It was one of my absolute favorite tomatoes at TomatoFest in September--just knocked me out. Candy-on-the-vine, not to be missed.

Developed by Jeff McCormack, it is a cross of Red Cherry and Tappy's Finest. Named for Amy Boor Hereford whose Grandma Tappy introduced Jeff to heirloom tomatoes more than 20 years ago.

Anna Russian ($4.95) (VE) 65 days. This was the very first heirloom tomato I ever tasted.

Years ago my mom brought me some perfect heart-shaped Anna Russians from her garden. She had gotten the seeds from a friend. I tasted; I swooned. From 8 to 16 ounces, the fruits she brought had grown in beautiful clusters of 2 or 3.

Still in my top 5 favorites after all these years, Anna Russian is always among the first few plants I set out in my home garden every spring in a little Tomato Love ceremony.

Anna Russian seeds came to Craig Lehoullier from Brenda Hillenius of Oregon, who got the seeds from her grandfather, Kenneth Wilcox. Years earlier he had been given the original seeds from a Russian immigrant friend--a genuine example of the intriguing history these grand old tomatoes carry with them.

This plant has very delicate, wistful foliage as do many of the Russian varieties. Don't let that fool you! Anna is easy to grow and bear heavily during hot and cool weather. I wouldn't be without it.

Aunt Ruby's German Green ($4.95)

(B) (E)75-78 days. You're going to love this beautiful Tennessee tomato. Big, sweet beefsteaks, bursting with a fragrant, complex, spicy-sweetness with a touch of tang. A gorgeous green-when-ripe color, this much sought after variety is a real treat to have in your garden, and is said to be the very best tasting green. Reaching an average of 1 lb, Aunt Ruby's German Green grows in clusters of 2 or 3.

With its intricate, earthy, unforgettable flavor, this one will broaden your tomato horizons. Very adaptable, and easy to grow with good disease resistance. From Ruby Arnold of Greeneville, Tennessee who passed away in 1997.

Big Rainbow ($4.95) 75 days. (BB) Big it is...2 lbs. or more, sweet and voluptuous, fruity, juicy, rich tri-colored tomato, dappled red, orange and yellow, inside and out. Just enchanting. Big Rainbow is a best seller, and among my all-time favorites. Heavy, juicy and gorgeous, growing singly or in pairs, it takes me 2 hands to pick. A prize worth every luscious bite.

Black Plum ($4.95) 75 days. (E) (P-S) This marvelous plant offers a very heavy production of rich, sweet, fruity, elongated, mahogany plum-shaped 3" fruits that fall into your hands by the dozens as you pick them. This one is outstanding eaten fresh, or sliced in a salad, with a rich smoky sweetness and a delicate touch of tartness to its creamy flesh, it makes a fabulous and perfectly balanced sauce or paste and is becoming a great favorite for canning. I like it fresh off the vine for straight-up garden snackin'. First place winner at the TomatoMania tasting of 2002.

Black Krim ($4.95) 75 days (E) This much sought after Russian variety is unique and unforgettable, originally from Krim on the Black Sea in the former Soviet Union, Black Krim has a superb smoky sweetness with a delicate lingering touch of tang in a 4-6" slightly flattened, mahogany-colored fruit with lovely, deep green shoulders. Just superb and very easy to grow. (It is not the same variety as Noir de Crimeé).

Brandywine Red, Landis Valley Strain ($4.95) (HG) (E) 78 days. This old time legendary and very special strain of Red Brandywine is named for Brandywine Creek and comes from Chester County Pennsylvania where it originated in 1885. These big, vigorous vines produce 8 -12 ounce, deep bright-red round fruits in clusters of 4 to 6. Outstanding, prolific, robust, with intense tomato flavor which stands up to its legendary 100 year history. Among my favorites. (This is a different strain from regular Red Brandywine which is slightly larger, later and more ribbed.)

Brandywine Yellow, Platfoot Strain ($4.95) 85 days. (B) From Gary Platfoot of Ohio, this magnificent big 1 to 2 pound brightly-colored smooth-shaped yellow tomato with marvelous complex taste is a special strain of Yellow Brandywine which has a higher yield than regular Yellow Brandywine and offers the same elaborate, delicious tomato flavor. Gardeners who try this variety continue to grow it in their gardens. Disease resistant and very easy to grow. It's a classic. I love it.

Black Ruffles ($4.95) 85 days. In dazzling jewel-like shades of deepest dark purple, with the sweet smoky flavor of the finest black tomatoes, Black Ruffles is a cross of Black Krim and Zapotec Pleated. The depth of color in this luscious fruit is unequaled in the tomato world. Reaching up to 3-4" across and up to 12 ounces, it's amazingly prolific and produces like crazy right up until frost--its unique coloring and magnificent flavor make it real show-stopper.

Seeds of this exquisite black pleated tomato were sent to me by my sweet friend Lisa Von Saunder, owner of Amishland Heirloom Seeds in Pennsylvania. Lisa has graciously let me use her photograph.

Black Zebra ($4.95) 85 days. This stunning, perfectly round 1½" to 2" fruits with tender, deep dark red to caramel colored skin beneath vertical dark green and mahogany streaks is the favorite tomato of Amazing Terry.

Black Zebra has opulent, rich flavor with hints of smoke and sweetness, a big favorite around here which somehow disappear mysteriously from the plants as soon as they ripen.

Brandywine OTV ($4.95) (B) (E) 72 days. A truly marvelous stand-out member of the great family of Brandywines, this one arose in Craig LeHoullier's garden years ago. Big one-pound red fruits with orange shoulders and complex rich flavors. An outstanding tomato for your garden; it also sets fruit very well during high temperatures and bears all season. A reliable producer, very disease resistant, and easy to grow; OTV stands for Off The Vine, which was a wonderful online tomato newsletter published by Carolyn Male and Craig LeHoullier. They describe this tomato as "the best strain of Brandywine set apart from others by its smooth, creamy, almost buttery texture, and harmonious sweet flavor." It originated from a natural cross-pollination of Yellow Brandywine and an unknown red parent, and was further developed and stabilized by Carolyn Male.

New for 2008! Camp Joy ($4.95) 80 days. Fantastic! This delightful 1” prolific cherry tomato has big-time elaborate tomato flavor. Along with excellent disease resistance, it produces an abundance of luscious gems in your garden all season. Perfect for salads and snacking; Camp Joy is one of Gary Ibsen’s favorite cherry tomatoes and one of my favorites from our 2007 TomatoFest tasting experience. I give it 5 stars out of 5.

Carmello ($4.95) (E) 75 days. 75 days. An extremely popular French tomato. This one is highly sought after and has become a great favorite among my customers. A very reliable and bountiful producer of heavy, juicy, 8 oz. red fruits with immense flavor, this plant is among the most prolific ever bred, and produces so many fruits, you will be giving them away by the basketful. The Carmello plant in my garden proved to be disease resistant, and produced through late December with night temperatures about 42 degrees. The flavor alone puts it in my top 10. Wait 'til you see all the tomatoes on this plant; bring the big harvest basket.

Cherokee Purple ($4.95) (HG) (E) 75 days. A legendary and beautiful tomato, at least 100 years old and said to be grown by the Cherokee People. 12 oz. deep dark dusky rose-purple, deep red inside, with sweet, rich and smoky, luscious flavor. Cherokee Purple is a garden staple, in everyone's favorite list for a good reason-- disease resistant, reliable and easy to grow, and great one for your heirloom or heritage garden. Seeds were sent to Craig Lehoullier by JD Green of Tennessee who got them from a neighbor whose family had grown them for more than 100 years. In 1990 Craig named it Cherokee Purple.

New for 2008! Cherokee Chocolate ($4.95) 75 days. This gorgeous tomato is sweet, rich and luscious, with a very distinctive dark chocolate mahogany hue, and brownish-black shoulders. 12 ounces and plentiful on the vine; this stunning beauty which arose as spontaneous 'rogue' tomato in Craig LeHoullier's garden several years ago. Craig stabilized it and now this 4-inch beefsteak variety has developed a great following among celebrity chefs because of its exceptionally rich color and flavor.

New for 2008! Chocolate Stripes ($5.25) 78 days. This big beautiful yummy 4" fruit was among the top 3 favorites at TomatoFest 2007. A stunning mahogany with swirls and streaks of deep olive-green inside and out, and a flavor similar to Black Zebra that stands up to the best of the blacks. Smokey, rich, earthy and sweet, with a silken texture, Chocolate Stripes is taking the tomato world by storm. Growing on a really big plant and standing up to cooler weather, it continues to produce well into fall.

New for 2008! Cindy's West Virginia ($4.95) 85 to 90 days. From Wirt County, West Virginia, this big beautiful pinkish-red 4" beefsteak fruit is absolutely luscious. I tasted it for the first time in September at TomatoFest. Wow. Double wow.

The seeds of this fabulous fruit were sent to Gary Ibsen by conservationist and manager of the Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge, Dean Rhine, of the Fish & Game Dept. in West Virginia.

Dean got the seeds from Cindy who works with him, who got the seeds from her dad, Charlie, who grew this tomato for many years. Charlie got the seeds from his neighbor who had planted them for years in Wirt County, WV. They were always the "very best tomato" in their gardens.

Clint Eastwood's Rowdy Red ($5.25) (HG) (E) Released by Gary Ibsen, owner of Carmel TomatoFest, Clint Eastwood's Rowdy Red is a deep-red, round, beefsteak type fruit with a robust unruly tomatoey flavor and firm, juicy flesh that invites tomato feasting and seed-saving. The tall, indeterminate plant produces loads of 3", 10-12 oz. fruits. Gary says, "This is one of those big, bold tasting tomatoes that is not for sissies," said Ibsen. "Although it has some of the highest sugar levels I've ever seen from a tomato, the sweetness is in the background and its fruity flavors are balanced beautifully with plenty of acidity, earthy nuances and flavor complexity. It's a perfect tomato for eating fresh, cooking or canning and shows excellent disease resistance."

Cuostraleé ($4.95) (Koo-struh-LAY) (BBB) 85 days. A huge tomato, incredibly juicy and tasty, amazingly beautiful.. This is one of the 'bragger' tomato, reaching 3 lbs. or more. Add the superb flavor and very high production; you should treat yourself to this wondrous heirloom.

Eva Purple Ball ($4.95) 68 days (E) A beautiful, adaptable, and reliable choice for your garden. Easy to grow, virtually problem free, and often called the most beautiful tomato of all. Eva Purple Ball produces perfectly round, deep pink, 6-8 oz, juicy, sweet luscious globes with an outstanding rich and refreshing flavor. At first bite, the tanginess dominates, giving way a moment later to an enduring sweetness with overtones of tropical fruit and spice. Growing very well in high heat and humidity, its very high-yield and disease resistance makes this prolific garden staple an outstanding choice for novice gardeners and experts alike. Originally from the Black Forest of Germany in the late 1800's. This plant out produced all others in my 2005 summer garden.

New for 2008! Gramma Climenhaga (pron. Klimen-hayguh) ($4.95) 78 days. I am madly in love with this tomato; it has been a big favorite of mine for years.

With a stunning luminous orange hue and brilliant, citrusy sweet flavor--its perfectly balanced and delicious. First grown in Canada by T. McIntee's Gramma, it is easy to grow, a very reliable producer of 6 to 10 ounce meaty fruits, about 3" across, perfectly round and -- truly memorable tomato. Give this Gramma a try!

Grape Tomato ($4.95) (EE) (Ch) 55 days (H) This vigorous adaptable plant produces long grape-like clusters of very sweet, richly flavored, elongated cherry tomatoes, about 1½" long, popularly sold in pints at the supermarket. Now you can grow them in your home garden, in any climate and, rather then being picked green as are supermarket Grape tomatoes, the taste will be far sweeter and richer. When homegrown and ripening before your eyes, the flavor is exponentially finer than those on market shelves; you won't believe the difference.

Green Giant ($4.95) (E) (B) 60-70 days. Occasionally a tomato comes along which deserves very special attention. This big, up to 2 lb., green when ripe tomato resoundingly stole the show August 27th at Cincinnati's famous CHOPTAG Tomato Taste Fest last year taking Best Of Show. We had the immense pleasure of tasting it at TomatoFest in Carmel, California where it captured the hearts of tasters and garnered a great deal of attention. I have not been this impressed by a tomato since discovering Goose Creek in the summer of 2004. On a flavor scale of 1 to 100, Green Giant is a resounding 100. Incredible. Unforgettable.

It arose originally in the garden of Reinhard Kraft of Germany in 2000 when he planted 30 seeds called 'Green Giant' from a friend in Canada. 29 of them grew out regular leafed except for one which had big potato leafed foliage. Reinhard cultivated that one, selecting the best fruit for several seasons, and continued to save seeds. Yay, Reinhard. Seeds are not available commercially but I have managed to secure some for the 2006 season from my buddy Cynthia Geske, owner of Love Apple Farm in Ben Lomond, CA. www.loveapplefarm.biz Cynthia grew the magnificent Green Giant fruits we tasted at TomatoFest and graciously let me use her photograph here.

New for 2008! Green Grape ($5.25) 60 days. VE) (SM) These 1" by 1 ½" ripe fruits are yellow-green with an amber blush on the blossom end, and lovely translucent pale-green on the inside growing on a small yet very prolific plant. After tasting it again at TomatoFest this year I remembered how much I love it and decided to include it on the list for 2008. You will love it, too.

This compact plant was developed by Tom Wagner who crossed Yellow Pear with Evergreen. Its fruit has become wildly popular in restaurants and markets because of its unique and very elaborate flavor, a certain tanginess balanced with just the perfect touch of sweetness, stunning beauty and marvelous flavor--Green Grape really stands out as great choice for the discerning tomato maniac.

Green Zebra ($4.95) (E) 72 days. Visually enchanting, abundantly productive, this 2-inch round fruit ripens to a beautiful amber gold with dark green zebra-like stripes over the amber background. Inside, the flesh is beautiful, sparkling green. Another wonderful variety from Tom Wagner, it is gorgeous to behold, tangy and deeply sweet with lingering flavors, like fine wine. This exquisite tomato was chosen by chef extraordinaire, Alice Waters, for her restaurant, Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California. In my top 5.

Goose Creek ($6.95) 75-80 days. (HG) (E)

This delectable historical family heirloom is one of the rarest plants we offer and our #1 top seller. The flavor and color run deep in Goose Creek , a stunning, deeply red fruit, round or slightly flattened, sometimes lobed, with occasional gold streaks or speckling, faintly visible in the photo. Juicy, very sweet and intensely tomatoey as if injected with concentrated tomato flavor, it is ambrosial. I've rarely tasted a tomato to compare. Averaging 6-7 ounces, with very few seeds; it has now made my top 3 list.

This family treasure comes to us from edible landscape expert, Jimmy Williams, owner of Hayground Organic Gardening in California whose home garden we found to be an enchanting escape. Jimmy, born in 1942, and his Native Island Gullah-Geechee family are descendants of slaves brought in bondage from The Caribbean to the coastal islands of the Southern United States to grow rice for plantation owners.

The Gullah are still keepers of a fascinating culture of food, language and beloved traditions--a most extraordinary and delightful people.

The seeds of this sublime fruit have been passed down through generations since the 1800's when Jimmy's great-great grandmother, a young Caribbean slave, smuggled them with her aboard ship. When the ship docked at Charleston near Goose Creek, South Carolina, she had the treasured seeds with her, hidden deep in her skirt pocket and planted them that first spring. Jimmy's grandmother, Elouise Watson, shared this precious heirloom with him more than 45 years ago, assuring Goose Creek 's place in his family's garden for generations to come. Among its extraordinary qualities: A very high fruit yield and very few seeds.

Along with being very heat tolerant, it shows remarkable cold-tolerance along the cooler coastal areas where the fruits continue to set and ripen through November and December. It is a wonderful choice for growing in containers.

Goose Creek has two distinctly different and superb flavors during two phases of its growth: when partially ripe and still showing some light green at the shoulders it has a brisk citrusy taste balanced with a fine, lingering touch of sweetness, and again at full red ripeness when it develops an intensely rich, earthy sweet flavor and luxurious, silken texture.

Very prolific, this exquisite variety has been featured recently in Fine Cooking Magazine, The Los Angeles Times Magazine,

and Visiting with Huell Howser on PBS. This season it will be featured in Sunset Magazine, Mother Earth News, Weekend Magazine and The Victory Garden on PBS Television.

Now available to the home gardener and online exclusively from Laurel's; it is a rare and exquisite selection for your table and your historical garden.

A perfect gift for the tomato-lover on your list.

Great White ($4.95) 85 days. ( B) This huge, 16-20 oz. creamy-white beefsteak heirloom has a dazzling pink blush on the blossom end when ripe, and wonderfully sweet, tropical melon-like flavor. Stunning on the vine, enchanting at the table. My favorite white tomato.

Hawaiian Currant ($4.95) (Ch) 80 days. This magnificent miniature morsel of a tomato amazed me and the other tasters at TomatoFest in September of 2003. Festival guests were going back for more, causing a traffic jam in the joyous meandering line of tomato fans. It grows in abundant grape-like clusters, each cluster holding onto its little red pea-sized fruits, until all are perfectly ripe. Be sure to pick the entire cluster as you would with grapes, rather than trying to get these teeny little guys off one at a time.

The flavor of Hawaiian Currant is unbelievably deep, rich, sweet, and lingering on the palette, a tiny terrific dream of a tomato.

Hawaiian Pineapple ($4.95) (B) 90 days. A huge, breathtaking and much sought after golden-orange beefsteak with fruit that grows up to 1-1/2 lbs. When fruit is ripe it has a luscious, very rich, sweet pineapple-melon like flavor and heady tropical fragrance. Add the unusually high production of this plant, and it makes my top 10 list. A real knock-out and a top-seller.

Heart of Compassion ($4.95) (B) 78 days. We are proud to be the only source for this fabulous tomato plant. Heart of Compassion, named by my friend Dagma Lacey of TomatoFest, is a huge, 4 to 5" jade pink luscious, lovely heart shaped tomato with divinely sweet flavors. Thin skinned and very meaty with very few seeds, it is truly a treasure. You can see a 'live' Heart of Compassion fruit in the TomatoFest video at the top of our opening page in the 'Early Bird Ticket Sales' section.

Hillbilly ($4.95) (BB) (E) 78 days. This old time heirloom from the hills of West Virginia, growing to 2 lbs., has stunning yellow and red dappled skin with sunset-hued rainbow stripes inside; makes gorgeous slices. Very sweet. Another top vote getter at TomatoFest in Carmel, California. This one has sold out early every year.

New for 2007! Homer Fike's Golden Oxheart ($4.95) 85 days. Seeds of this marvelous tomato were sent to Gary Ibsen by Karen Teets of West Virginia who told him: " This variety was grown by Mr. Homer Fike for as long as his 78-year old daughter can remember. Beyond that, no one is alive to remember."

Gary describes it like this, "The abundant amount of distinctively beautiful, yellow-gold, heart-shaped fruit up to 1 lb. has been one of the greatest tomato pleasures for me. Truly a wonderful gift to place in the hands of a loved one or friend. Guaranteed to get "WOW!" in response. Meaty flesh, few seeds and delicious fruit-sweet flavors."

Isis Candy ($4.95) (Ch) (VE) 60 days. These precious little 1½" morsels of red and gold garden candy have a dazzling starburst pattern on the blossom end when ripe. Sweet and fruity, Isis Candy has become a top 10 winner at tomato tastings, rivaling Sun Gold's flavor as a best-of-show cherry. Crack-resistant, a spectacular top seller.

Julia Child ($5.25) (E) 78 days. The talk of the tomato world, borne on a big, elegant potato-leafed plant, Julia Child's 4" 1 lb. lightly fluted deep pink beefsteak fruits have gigantic flavor--robust, hearty, with classic old-time tomato taste, bursting with divine richness. Juicy, beautiful, just splendid. Named for Julia Child by her dear friend and owner of Carmel TomatoFest, Gary Ibsen.

Japanese Black Trifele ($5.25) (SM) 80 days. Japanese Black Trifele, which translates to truffle, is a big juicy 8-10 ounce pear-shaped, deep purple-black tomato with pretty green shoulders. In Russia the Trifele varieties of tomatoes--of which there are several colors--are highly prized and command high prices. Growing on a short potato-leafed plant, it's the size and shape of a Bartlett pear and among the darkest hued and finest flavored of the black tomatoes. The skin is smooth and crack resistant and production is huge. Flavor is deep, chocolaty, smoky and rich, just wonderful.

Japanese Yellow Trifele (TRY-feluh) AKA Truffle Yellow ($5.25) (SM) This lively 6 to 10 ounce cousin of the Japanese Black Trifele has a lovely refreshing citrusy-sweet flavor. Juicy and delicious with a huge production of fruit, this productive plant stands up to cooler weather, it's exactly the size and shape of a Bartlett pear and keeps well for several weeks after picking. Not Japanese at all, but Russian, Yellow Trifele ripens from yellow to a glowing golden hue when fully ripe. Some fruits have pretty green patterning on their shoulders.

My seeds are from my friend Lisa., owner of Amishland Heirloom Seeds who has graciously let me use her photograph here. Lisa points out that this tomato looks a lot like a Shmoo. If you remember Al Capp's Shmoos, you will see the resemblance. Lisa has a Shmoo picture here: www.amishlandseeds.com

(Japanese Yellow Trifele plants will be available in mid to late April.)

Kellogg's Breakfast ($4.95) (E) 78 days. Wow whatta tomato! These big 1 to 2 lb. bright orange beefsteak beauties from West Virginia are exactly the color of orange juice. This terrific fruit with its sweet, buttery, ambrosial flavor with a perfect balance of bright tanginess is a favorite of gourmets and gourmands everywhere. Sliced open, it reveals a rich creamy bright-orange flesh, just bursting with juice. A top seller year after year.

Laurel's California Gold ($4.95) 80 days.

This marvelous new variety arose in my garden in 2001. We expected it to grow out deep pink from a Brandywine/Cherokee Purple cross called Brandokee, but somehow we got this magnificent yellow-golden fruit from one of the plants. Sweet as it can be and very prolific, it is also juicy and rich with a tender skin and luscious fruity tropical flavor. Weighing from 12 to 16 ounces it measures about 4" across. It was first nicknamed 'Blondokee' by my friend Keith Mueller in reference to my hair color and one of its parents, Cherokee Purple. I asked Amazing Terry to give it a name and he decided on 'Laurel's California Gold'. Growing on a big, hearty vining regular-leafed plant, it really is very sweet and just beautiful!

Lemon Boy ($4.95) (H) (E) 72 days. A perfect jewel. Lemon Boy is sunshine yellow, perfectly round and sometimes lemon shaped, 6-10 oz. with a rich satisfying flavor, bright, smooth, juicy, luscious and very prolific. Slightly tangy, sweet with lingering overtones of citrus. Bountiful on the vine, easy to grow, beautiful and all around winner--one of my top 5 favorite hybrids.

Marianna's Peace SOLD OUT UNTIL FALL ($5.95) 80 days. (B) (HG) One of our top 3 sellers. The sugary nectar of this huge 5 inch tomato's creamy, dense, red flesh is intensely rich, with perfect sweet-acid balance and sublime, complex flavors reminiscent of the finest of the "old-fashioned" tomato flavors. This big, beautiful irresistible 1-2 lb. deep red fruit is the talk of the tomato world and has found its way into Top 10 favorite tomato lists of gourmands worldwide. It is perfection. Supply is limited, please order early. It is said that Marianna's Peace is among the 3 finest tasting tomatoes in existence.

Marianna was from a family of farmers in Bohemia, Czechoslovakia. During World War II, in May of 1945 when she was 17, Russian soldiers came to her school and forced Marianna and all her schoolmates into a truck to be taken to Siberia. During the journey, she and a few others escaped by jumping from the moving truck, but Marianna was shot in the leg just as she crossed the Czech border. With the help of her friends, she was able to continue on to the town of Weiden, Bavaria. She lost all contact with her parents and brothers for the next ten years, but after a long and diligent search with the aid of The Red Cross, she finally found them in 1955.

Before he died, her father gave her a little bundle of the seeds.

Marianna married, and in 1957 moved to Washington State with her husband where they raised four children.

The legacy of these seeds reaches back to the early 1900's and year after year the tomatoes borne from this marvelous heirloom continue to be treasured for their outstanding taste and beauty. Incredibly sweet, creamy, with dense red flesh, rich and luscious, reminiscent of the finest of those "old-fashioned" tomato flavors, the memories of which are the stuff of dreams for all tomato lovers.

Mortgage Lifter aka Radiator Charlie's Mortgage Lifter ($4.95) 80 days.

Radiator Charlie and his big tomatoes in

a newspaper photograph from 1964.

This gigantic legendary heirloom from Logan, West Virginia developed by M.C. 'Charlie' Byles in the 1930's, is huge, sweet, juicy, delicious and prolific, with splendid old time tomato flavor. The meaty pink-red fruits weigh at least a pound, averaging 2½ lbs. and reaching up to 4 lbs. A very prolific plant which continues to bear fruit right up until frost, it also keeps very well.

Marshall Cletis Byles, who much preferred to go by MC or just Charlie, owned a garage specializing in radiator repair.

He developed Mortgage Lifter over a six year period by crossing German Johnson, Beefsteak and 2 other really big varieties, all chosen for their huge size and grand flavor. He sold the resulting plants for a dollar each (in the 40's), and was able to pay off his $6000.00 house mortgage in only 6 years with the profit from his plant sales. "I didn't pay but six thousand dollars for my home, and paid most of it off with tomato plants", said Charlie in a tape recorded interview with his grandson which aired recently on National Public Radio.

Charlie's repair shop was at the bottom of a steep hill so travelers whose radiators over-heated during the climb had to coast back down to Radiator Charlie's for repair. Other folks heard about these huge luscious tomatoes and came from hundreds of miles to buy the plant. As my customer John in Virginia says, "It's just not a real tomato garden without Mortgage Lifter." Charlie Byles lived to be 97 years old. Here is a link to the story, in Radiator Charlie's own voice:

http://www.loe.org/shows/segments.htm?programID=06-P13-00027&segmentID=6

Our deepest thanks to Jeff McCormick, founder of Seed Saver's Exchange, for keeping Charlie Byle's tomato seeds and so many other great heirloom varieties alive and thriving for gardeners worldwide. Without Jeff's efforts many of these grand old family heirlooms would have been lost forever.

New for 2008! Mirabell SOLD OUT UNTIL FALL ($4.95) 70 days. (E) Once in while I taste a tomato with a flavor so elaborate and fine that I rave about it for weeks. Mirabell is one of these. I hadn't tasted it for several years and then popped a few into my mouth at TomatoFest. Wow. Ambrosial, just sublime. My notes on this variety are nothing but a series of 9 scribbled exclamation points. The tiny golden-yellow 3/8" fruits grow in bountiful clusters of 8 on a big rangy plant. Along with Camp Joy, Mirabell is my new favorite cherry tomato. Just as I did with Hawaiian Currant years ago, I went back to taste this one many times over.

Moonglow ($4.95) 85 days. The chef's choice. Beautiful, brilliant, warm-orange tomato with smooth fine flavor. 6-8 oz., 3 inch, blunt-tipped globes. A real winner and one of the best round golden-orange tomatoes you'll ever eat. The first time I tasted it, it just knocked me out. It is always among the favorites each fall at Carmel TomatoFest in California.

I fell in love with this tomato at Carmel TomatoFest in 2000. Look how beautiful it is! It produces a big bountiful crop of divinely delicious deep orange 6-8 oz., 3 inch, globes which make the most beautiful sauce you've ever seen. For fresh eating it is perfection. Beautiful, brilliant, warm-orange, with smooth rich taste. . A real winner and one of the finest round golden-orange tomatoes in the world.

Mr. Brown ($4.95) 80 days. I love Mr. Brown, an enchanting, deep-chocolate hued, lightly fluted, 8 oz. medium size fruit. The flavor of this much sought after tomato is rich, smoky, sweet and lingering. This is a new favorite of mine and judging from all the interest in it, rapidly growing in popularity among heirloom aficionados worldwide. Created by Jeff Dawson, it is unusual, beautiful, and unforgettable. Mr. Brown; the talk of the town.

New for 2008! Mrs. Houseworth ($4.95) 80 days. After hearing glowing reports about this tomato from many tomato buddies over the years, (“Laurel! Try it! Try it!”), I tried it at TomatoFest this year. They were absolutely right. It’s magnificent! I'm hooked. This 3 to 4 inch heart-shaped, luscious, big pink fruit is a prized old heirloom from the 1930's, originally from Mrs. Houseworth’ s garden in Centerville, Pennsylvania. Meaty and sweet, sublime, heavy in the hand with a perfect little accent of tanginess.

Opalka ($4.95) (P-S) (E) 70 days. This wonderful heirloom originated in Poland. To me, and many other tomato lovers; it's absolutely the finest tasting paste tomato, with 5-inch long, thick red fruit, shaped like little red bananas with a pretty round nipple on the tip of each fruit.

The foliage is wispy but the plant is very vigorous and prolific, often the tallest plant in the garden. Very meaty, virtually seedless and loaded with exquisite, refreshing, sweet flavors, marvelous for sauce and fresh eating. I was actually eating the Opalka in this photograph, fresh picked from my garden, as I typed this description. Yum. Despite the plant's large size, it's also done very well for me in 20 gallon containers.

Omar's Lebanese ($4.95) (BBB) 80 days. The big one! Omar's Lebanese has a passionately sweet and complex flavor. These immense fruits--deep dark pink and juicy--grow to 3-4 lbs, with excellent disease resistance. A spectacular tomato. Really easy to grow, out of this world. Takes 2 hands to pick it. In my top 5.

New for 2008! Orange Strawberry ($4.95) 80 days. With the orange varieties receiving so much attention because of their health benefits, I want to share with you one of my favorite orange tomatoes, Orange Strawberry. This amazing variety has been earning accolades from celebrity chefs and gourmands world wide and was recently displayed on Martha Stewart's show.

This outstanding, hearty ox-heart type variety produces beautiful, 3-inch, strawberry-shaped-- formed to a distinct tip,--brilliant orange fruits, inside and out. The gorgeous, meaty fruit has a sweet, rich, complex and elaborate flavor. Not to be missed; give it a place in your garden.

Peacevine Cherry ($5.25) 50 days. (SM) (EE) The tiny tomato with the gigantic taste. Developed from Sweet 100 by Alan Kapular of Oregon, the little Peacevine currant type tomatoes grow in clusters of 18 to 20 fruits on small shrub-like 2 to 3 foot plants and ripen in only 50 days from plant out. When ripe, these marble-sized tomatoes can range from deep dark red to orange and yellow. The elaborate sparkling flavor of Peacevine literally changes from rich and sweet to tart and tangy and back again as you munch them--the Everlasting Gobstopper of tomatoes.

The Peacevine name was chosen because of the high amino acid content which has a calming effect on the body. This indeterminate variety had the highest vitamin C content in a cherry tomato among 30 varieties analyzed by Rutgers University.

Polish Giant ($4.95) (HG) (B) 85 days. This fabulous big brick-red heirloom from Poland is rich and juicy, heavy-in-the-hand, 4" across, and reaches 1 to 2 lbs. The flavor is exquisite, the production very high, and the vigorous plants set fruit easily in cooler weather. It is said that the original seeds were hidden beneath a postage stamp on a letter and smuggled into the US from Poland in 1939.

Persimmon ($4.95) (B) (E) 78 days. This vigorous and prolific heirloom, introduced in 1983, yields a bountiful crop of creamy, stunning, persimmon colored fruit. Its rich distinctive sweetness makes it one of the best among the marvelous family of orange heirloom tomatoes. The fruits range from 12-ounces to 2 pounds and glow so beautifully on the vine you won't believe your eyes. Smooth, meaty, creamy, very sweet with few seeds and spectacular flavor. Persimmon is a customer favorite and has been a big winner at numerous tomato tastings.

Purple Calabash ($4.95) (E) (HG) 75 days. A small, fascinating, deep purple to mahogany brown tomato, extremely fluted, almost ruffled, its astounding appearance make it a garden-to-table conversation piece. When picked at the peak of ripeness, which takes some practice, it has a fine lingering winey flavor, reminiscent of a rich Cabernet. This tomato has remained unchanged since it was first documented in the 17th century where a Purple Calabash tomato was depicted on the table in a portrait. Many customers who've tried it have called to tell me how much they love it. Calabash is derived from the Spanish calabaza or 'melon' referring to its fluted shape.

Purple Haze SOLD OUT FOR 2008 ($8.95) (E) 70 days. It's back for '08! This is our rarest plant. The seeds for this exquisite deep purple fruit were given to me by Kansas City heirloom tomato grower and developer Keith Mueller. Keith developed a perfectly round 2" to 3" tomato with rapturous flavor, a seductive shape and sensuous color. Its name was inspired by its beguiling color and parental lineage which combines Brandywine, Cherokee Purple and Black Cherry.

The flavor, for the lucky few who have eaten one, is lively and sparkling with a fine tanginess, passionate with intense earthy nuances and a lingering sweetness. Early ripening, growing in great abundance on a huge plant in clusters of 5-7 fruits, it ripens in only 70 days from plant-out.

Adding to its extraordinary attributes, it has a subdued yet seductive saltiness-- challenging to describe. Whatever it is, this tomato put a spell on me.

Exceedingly rare, its ravishing beauty and flavor are unequaled in the tomato world. This is a rare opportunity for you to join the Purple Haze Experience. Supply is limited, please order early.

Sisters ($5.95) 80 days. This strong, beautiful and amazing tomato plant out-produces other varieties, stands up to cold and heat, resists disease, tastes marvelous and gives you a whopping crop of big, gorgeous, incredibly delicious 4" pink beefsteak fruits. Rich, luscious, sweet on the vine, with unforgettable old-time tomato flavor, this hearty potato-leafed plant is bountiful, resilient and reliable. Even during the most challenging seasons, Sisters will come through for you. A wonderful gift for family and friends. In my top 10 all-time favorites.

San Marzano Redorta SOLD OUT UNTIL FALL ($4.95) 80 days. The best of the Italian sauce tomatoes, this big, luscious high-producing Roma type fruit is named for Pizzo di Redorta, (Redorta Peak) one of the highest peaks in the Bergamo Alps of Lombardy, Northern Italy.

At 8 to 10 ounces-- with reports of up to 16 ounces-- and 4" to 6" long, it is a much larger tomato with much better flavor than its cousin, San Marzano. San Marzano Redorta is marvelously rich, extremely productive and good enough to eat fresh, right off the vine.

My friend, Gary Ibsen of TomatoFest.com, prefers it to any other Italian paste tomato. I agree!

Super Snow White ($4.95) 70 days. (E)

A gourmet's delight. I can't say enough about this exquisite, ping pong ball sized, white cherry tomato which ripens from white to ivory to palest yellow with a bright, rich and sweet juicy flavor. Very prolific, easy to grow, pretty as starlight and a top seller.

Sunset's Red Horizon ($4.95) (B) (E) 72 days. This outstanding big, red, ambrosial and glorious fruit is, along with Purple Haze, Marianna's Peace, Vintage Wine, Green Giant, Goose Creek, and Earl's Faux, the talk of the tomato world this season and being described as the best tasting tomato in existence. Producing like a champ in cool weather, resistant to frost, it is a splendid producer of big red, round and heart shaped, 5"- 6" fruits with great old-time intense tomato flavors and a juicy silken texture. Very heavy in the hand, weighing from 10 to about 16 ounces. One of the first varieties to produce, and continue bearing fruit well into November and December in the cooler coastal regions of Washington, Oregon and California, Sunset's Red Horizon will also produce beautifully and reliably in all climates and has proven resistant to frost, blossom end rot and cracking.

Introduced to the west by Nik Peplenov who immigrated to the US in 1999 and brought with him his favorite heirloom seeds from the Rostov Don region of Russia, it was named by tomato grower Gary Ibsen in 2003 after Sunset Magazine. Sunset's Red Horizon is a spectacular, all-around champion tomato. The fruit in the photograph was picked in our garden on January 27th, 2007. Photograph by Gary Ibsen.

Sara Black AKA Schwarze Sarah ($4.95) (E) 78 days. A fabulous New Jersey heirloom tomato! Flavor is out-of-this-world. The fruits are luscious: 3-inch pink-purple fruit with dark green shoulders and beautiful, unusual deep slate-purple streaks throughout the fruit. Marvelous. The photograph was taken by my tomato buddy Ruby 'Boo' Gangloff. and used here with her kind permission.

Stupice ($4.95) (EE) (Stoo-PEECH-kuh) 52 days. A great tomato! For me, this is the absolute very best tasting super-early cold-or-hot weather variety and among the first I plant each season. Big flavor, sweet and luscious. Stupice is a 3 to 4 oz. red round fruit, first to ripen and very high yielding. Produces quickly, heavily, reliably early and continuously throughout the season. Even when fruits are smaller as the season wanes, they maintain their marvelous flavor becoming even sweeter with colder weather. A garden staple.

Laurel's Favorites

Sun Gold ($4.95) (EE) (H) 45 - 55 days. This is the one of the best cherry tomatoes I've ever tasted, rivaling Isis Candy, and ready to pick in only 55-60 days. It has the big, rich flavor of a full-size tomato, in a beautiful little deep-golden fruit growing in bountiful clusters on a huge plant. Sweet, rich, so beautiful.... Most of them won't make it into your house from the garden. If you send someone to pick them for you, keep your binoculars trained upon the picker. The tomatoes in the photograph were picked on November 25th with our Los Angeles night temperatures in the 40's, Sun Gold is still going strong.

Tangella 80 days. ($4.95) 80 days. Look at this precious fruit! Hailing from England, this very distinctive and easily recognizable little heirloom tomato is borne in heavy clusters of 1½" to 2" round, brilliant orange fruits with a refreshing snappy tang. Bite into it; the flavor explodes in your mouth, then gives way to a passionate sweetness and intense citrusy fruitiness. The flesh is sweet; the juice is tangy, the experience is unforgettable. Glowing sunset-orange against passionately green foliage; it is spectacular. I ate this tomato right after I took its picture.

Extremely productive and disease resistant; Tangella is in my top 5. Fantastic.

New for 2008! Yellow Submarine ($5.25) 70 days. (Ch) (E) Similar in appearance to Yellow Pear but with a deep, rich flavor and excellent texture, Yellow Submarine is replacing Yellow Pear for many gardeners who long for this beguiling shape and color but with big yummy tomatoey taste. Now the cutest little tomato also has great big flavor!

For descriptions and photographs of all 160 tomato varieties, please click here:

Our Tomato Varieties

For detailed growing information and Laurel's favorite organic gardening products, click here:

Growing Tips

All original materials, photos and copy contained herein are protected by copyright and are the sole property of Laurel's Heirloom Tomato Plants or of Gary Ibsen/TomatoFest.com. or Hayground Organic Gardening. Schwarze Sarah photo property of Ruby Gangloff.