No. 020 · open-pollinated
Indigo Rose
Indigo Rose is an indeterminate open-pollinated cherry tomato with purple-black where sun-exposed, red where shaded fruit. It ripens in about 75 days.
Typecherry tomato
Habitindeterminate
Days to maturity75
Fruit size1 to 2 oz
Colorpurple-black where sun-exposed, red where shaded
Difficultymoderate
Flavor
Described as clean and slightly acidic, reminiscent of plums with a mild sweetness. This is the recurring catalog and grower description, not a measured claim.
Origin
An open-pollinated variety bred by Jim Myers at Oregon State University and released around 2011 to 2012, the first improved tomato with anthocyanins in the fruit, derived from crosses with wild tomato species.
What it does well
- First improved tomato variety with anthocyanin in the fruit
- High anthocyanin gives near-black sun-exposed skin and some disease resistance
- Open pollinated, so saved seed grows true
- Compact, disease-resistant indeterminate vines
Where it frustrates
- Color, not softness, signals ripeness, so timing the harvest takes practice
- Full skin color needs strong direct sun on the fruit
Like Indigo Rose, but...
Sold out, or after a change? The closest alternatives, and how they differ.
Sources
- Indigo Rose Organic Tomato Seeds · West Coast Seeds
- Indigo Rose Tomato Organic · Nichols Garden Nursery
- Blue tomato · Wikipedia