Illustration of Speckled Roman tomato
Illustration based on known variety traits. Appearance varies by growing conditions.

No. 025 · open-pollinated

Speckled Roman

Speckled Roman is an indeterminate open-pollinated paste tomato with bright red with golden orange stripes fruit. It ripens in about 81 days.

Typepaste tomato
Habitindeterminate
Days to maturity81
Fruit size6 to 8 oz
Colorbright red with golden orange stripes
Difficultymoderate

Flavor

Described as having excellent flavor, dense and meaty enough to cook quickly into sauce yet good enough to eat fresh. This is the recurring catalog and grower description, not a measured claim.

Origin

Open-pollinated paste tomato developed by Seed Savers Exchange member John Swenson, reported as a cross between Antique Roman and Banana Legs.

What it does well

  • Striking red fruit streaked with golden orange
  • Meaty low-juice flesh that cooks down fast into sauce
  • Flavor good enough for fresh eating as well as processing

Where it frustrates

  • Indeterminate vines need staking, trellising, or caging
  • Elongated plum fruit can be slow to ripen in cool seasons
  • Distinctive striping varies with growing conditions

Like Speckled Roman, but...

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

Where to buy seed

Sources