Illustration of Berkeley Tie-Dye tomato
Illustration based on known variety traits. Appearance varies by growing conditions.

No. 042 · open-pollinated

Berkeley Tie-Dye

Berkeley Tie-Dye is an indeterminate open-pollinated beefsteak with port wine red with metallic green stripes fruit. It ripens in about 75 days.

Typebeefsteak
Habitindeterminate
Days to maturity75
Fruit size8 to 12 oz
Colorport wine red with metallic green stripes
Difficultymoderate

Flavor

Described as sweet with a noticeable tanginess and a spiced quality, a flavor catalogs say beat Cherokee Purple in farmers market taste tests. This is the recurring catalog and grower description, not a measured claim.

Origin

Bred by Brad Gates at Wild Boar Farms in Citrus Heights, California, as part of his open-pollinated Boar Series.

What it does well

  • Striking port wine and green striped fruit
  • Sweet, complex flavor praised in taste tests
  • Compact for an indeterminate, productive across climates
  • Earlier than most beefsteaks

Where it frustrates

  • Heirloom type with little built in disease resistance
  • Prone to cracking from uneven watering
  • Can show blossom end rot or catfacing on early fruit

Like Berkeley Tie-Dye, but...

Sold out, or after a change? The closest alternatives, and how they differ.

Cherokee Purplebut Berkeley Tie-Dye adds bold green striping and a tangier, spiced edgeChocolate Stripesbut Berkeley Tie-Dye runs port wine red rather than brown toned

Where to buy seed

Sources