No. 099 · open-pollinated
Black Beauty
Black Beauty is an indeterminate open-pollinated beefsteak with jet black-purple on the sun-exposed side fruit. It ripens in about 75 days.
Flavor
Described as deeply rich and savory with a smooth, meaty texture, often called one of the most intense dark tomatoes. This is the recurring catalog and grower description, not a measured claim.
Origin
Bred by Brad Gates of Wild Boar Farms from a cross of Pink Berkeley Tie-Dye and Indigo Apple, marketed as the world's darkest tomato.
What it does well
- Among the darkest tomatoes, with extreme anthocyanin
- Rich, meaty, savory flavor
- Stores and holds unusually well
Where it frustrates
- Very dark skin makes ripeness hard to judge
- Indeterminate vines need staking
Growing it
- Indeterminate vine. It keeps growing and setting fruit right up to frost, so plan on a tall stake or cage and regular pruning through the season.
- Mid-season timing, ripening around 70 to 80 days from transplant.
- A moderate grow, no special tricks but worth steady attention.
- One of our picks for the cold, short-season gardens of New England.
Disease resistance
An open-pollinated variety, sold without formal disease-resistance codes.
Why no hardiness zone?
Tomatoes are warm-season annuals, so variety choice comes down to days to maturity and your local frost dates.
Like Black Beauty, but...
Sold out, or after a change? The closest alternatives, and how they differ.
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Where to buy seed
Related reading
Common questions
- Is Black Beauty determinate or indeterminate?
- Black Beauty is an indeterminate variety. Indeterminate vine. It keeps growing and setting fruit right up to frost, so plan on a tall stake or cage and regular pruning through the season.
- How long does Black Beauty take to ripen?
- Black Beauty ripens in about 75 days from transplant. Mid-season timing, ripening around 70 to 80 days from transplant.
- Is Black Beauty an heirloom or a hybrid?
- Black Beauty is open-pollinated, so seed saved from it comes back true to type.
- What can I grow instead of Black Beauty?
- A close swap is Indigo Rose, but a larger, darker, meatier beefsteak.
Sources
- Black Beauty Tomato Seeds · Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
- Tomato: Black Beauty · Vintage Seed Co.
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