According to experts, there are over 10,000 different types of tomato worldwide. We will introduce you to the best varieties of the different types of tomatoes.
The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) has an enormous variety of varieties. According to experts, there are over 10,000 different varieties worldwide. It is therefore all the more surprising that, with a lot of luck, you will find three or four different varieties on most supermarket shelves. In your own garden (or on the balcony) you can of course enjoy the full variety of tomatoes. So that you can find the right variety for you, we have compiled the best varieties for you below and sorted them according to the different types of tomatoes.
Generally there is no official typing of tomatoes. Tomatoes are usually differentiated according to their size, shape, resistance or color. In professional cultivation one also often subdivides according to the growth type (determined / indeterminate) and according to the purpose. Size, shape, resistance and color can vary greatly from variety to variety: a wild tomato can be almost tiny, an oxheart tomato weighs 1.5 kg. Before we share the best varieties with you, here is an overview of the term “resistance”.
Among the variety of tomato varieties, there are resistant, tolerant and resistant varieties.
What do we understand by resistant tomato varieties?
- Resistant varieties: Infestation is less severe than with common varieties.
- Tolerant varieties: These varieties are not completely disease-free, but mostly hardly affected and do not die from the disease in question.
- Resistant varieties: In contrast to resistant and tolerant varieties, resistant varieties are completely immune to the relevant pathogen. For example, there are modern varieties that are resistant to Fusarium or the blotch disease. There is currently no completely resistant variety against the late blight and brown rot in tomatoes.
We have precisely characterized the following types of tomatoes and have summarized all the properties that should help you choose.
Stake tomatoes
Table of Contents
With around 70 percent of world cultivation, stick tomatoes are among the most widespread tomato varieties. The mostly medium-sized fruits with two chambers are very typical here. They grow in height during the entire vegetation period (180 to over 200 cm) and must therefore be supported with sticks or cords. Towards autumn, stake tomatoes constantly develop new leaves and flowers. Regular removal of the side shoots (pruning) ensures that the fruit ripens well – even in the home garden.
‘Hellfrucht / Hilmar’: This seed-resistant variety bears medium-sized, red fruits and also achieves a high yield in the tub. It is very popular because of its pleasantly fruity taste. An old variety that not only tastes great when eaten fresh or in salads, but is also very suitable for pureeing, for soups and for cooking.
‘Harzfeuer F1’: The first German F1 hybrid with dark red, round fruits and an aromatic, sweet taste. It is very robust and extremely resistant to most diseases. This tomato variety can be grown outdoors, in a greenhouse or in a bucket. More information about Harzfeuer tomatoes can be found here.
‘Red Zebra’: The medium-sized, red and yellow striped tomatoes are an absolute eye-catcher and impress with their spicy and fruity-sweet aroma. Due to its height of approx. 2.5 m, this variety needs a growth aid, but can also be planted in a tub.
‘Winter tomato’: From July this variety forms small, heart-shaped tomatoes that shine in beautiful red. It can be harvested for a relatively long time and convinces with its delicious aroma.
‘Green Bell Pepper’: This favorite variety captivates with its green, flame-like color of the strongly ribbed and flat-round tomatoes. The juicy fruits are almost hollow on the inside, and with their spicy taste they are very suitable for filling. With a height of almost 2 meters, a growth aid is recommended.
‘Philona F1’: This F1 hybrid has a very broad spectrum of resistance to many diseases and at the same time impresses with its excellent aroma. The large, bright red tomatoes are particularly popular with hobby gardeners.
‘Phantasia F1’: An F1 hybrid with very high resistance to late blight and brown rot as well as resistance to powdery mildew. The variety bears large, round fruits and its great aroma makes it suitable as a salad tomato or in Italian dishes.
‘Gold stripe’: As the name suggests, the 50 to 200 gram red tomatoes are adorned with gold stripes. At the same time, the variety convinces with a very good taste and is suitable for outdoor cultivation and also for cultivation in pots or greenhouses.
‘Sacher (chocolate tomato) F1’: This F1 hybrid owes its name to its dark skin color and its fruity-sweet aroma. The flesh of the slightly flat-round tomatoes is also dark in color. It is resistant to viruses and has a high proportion of lycopene.
‘Golden Queen’: A very old and proven variety that carries bright golden yellow tomatoes. The juicy pulp impresses with a mild but excellent fruity aroma. The approximately 100 cm high plants are particularly suitable for outdoor cultivation and require a rod as a support.
‘Matina’: An extremely high-yielding and reliable variety with round, large fruits and multi-chambered pulp with a fruity aroma. It is robust against many tomato diseases, such as late blight and brown rot, and a real eye-catcher in the garden thanks to its striking potato-like leaves.
“Green Zebra”: An old variety with a noticeable flame-like color. The green tomatoes are adorned with yellow stripes and are popular as a snack or in a salad, but also as a soup base and in other dishes. This fruity-aromatic variety is ideal for growing in the greenhouse, outdoors or on the balcony.
‘Moneymaker’: This old English tomato variety is extremely productive and bears light red, fleshy fruits with a very good aroma. These are ideal for a tomato and mozzarella salad.
‘Auriga’: An almost historical and seed-firm stake tomato with bright red-orange fruits that have a great sweet and sour aroma.
‘German diligence’: An old German variety with red, round fruits and a balanced sweet and sour aroma. The potato-leaved plant prefers a growth aid and should be stripped regularly.
‘De Berao’: A traditional variety from Russia and one of the largest tomato varieties with a height of up to three meters. This variety bears plenty and the fruits are particularly suitable for processing into sauces. It is also resistant to late blight and brown rot.
Bush tomato varieties
As soon as some leaves and inflorescences have formed, the shoots of the bush or vine tomatoes stop growing. To do this, they form side shoots with new inflorescences. As a result, the plants are highly branched, but at the same time very compact (height 30 to 150 cm). Bush and vine tomatoes are therefore ideally suited for cultivation in pots or tubs (and therefore ideal for patios and balconies) and usually do not require any supports.
‘Hoffmanns Rentita’: Because of its compact growth, this old variety is ideal for cultivation in pots, on the balcony or terrace. She carries numerous, bright red tomatoes, which impress with their pleasantly spicy aroma.
‘Vilma’: A typical balcony tomato that takes up little space. The variety bears many aromatic fruits and is naturally resistant to cold, moisture and diseases.
‘Quedlinburg Early Love’: This former GDR variety produces small, round fruits and is one of the earliest tomatoes that can be harvested from the beginning of July. Its potato-leaved foliage is also striking.
‘Little Red Riding Hood’: A potato-leaved, tried-and-true type of tomato from the former GDR that carries lightly ribbed, red tomatoes. Its compact size makes it ideal for balconies or pots.
‘Lyterno F1’: An F1 vine tomato with round, deep red fruits. The specialty here is the extremely high lycopene content and antioxidants. The variety also impresses with its very good taste and high yield.
Cocktail tomatoes
All small varieties with a fruit weight of 20 to 60 g are called cocktail tomatoes. Since the plants are also rather small, they require little space and are ideal for growing in a tub. Cocktail tomatoes are extremely aromatic and can have different shapes depending on the variety.
‘Santorange F1’: F1 hybrid with rich orange, plum-shaped fruits and an outstandingly sweet aroma.
‘Tropical F1’: F1 hybrid with good resistance to Fusarium wilt, velvet spots, tomato mosaic virus and nematodes. The dark red fruits have an excellent taste and are versatile.
‘Yellow pear’: This old variety is also known under the name ’Yellow Pearshaped and the pear-shaped tomatoes impress with their sweet taste.
‘Katinka’: An absolute aroma wonder! The variety bears small, orange tomatoes very early, which convince with an excellent sweet and fruity aroma.
‘Fahrenheit Blue’: This new breed bears sweet fruits that ripen from a rich dark blue to a bright red. Due to the height of almost 2 meters, this variety needs a growth aid.
‘Blue Pitts’: The eye-catcher in every garden! The small tomatoes ripen from a beautiful dark blue-purple to a rich dark red. The firm pulp impresses with a slightly sweet aroma.
‘Helsing Junction Blues’: American variety with initially blue and, when fully ripe, dark purple-red fruits. The fleshy tomatoes convince with a spicy aroma.
‘Dancing with Smurfs’: The dark blue, slightly purple tomatoes are an eye-catcher in every vegetable garden. When fully ripe, the fruits get slightly red cheeks and impress with their slightly sweet, spicy aroma.
‘Bosque Blue’: This variety impresses with its extraordinary blue color. When fully ripe, the tomatoes turn purple-red and only develop their spicy, fruity aroma at this point. The variety is very susceptible to brown rot outdoors. Therefore, it should be planted in the greenhouse.
‘Tigerella’: The small red tomatoes are decorated with fine, yellow stripes and convince with their sweet, fruity and spicy aroma. This old variety is suitable for growing outdoors as well as in the greenhouse and is very robust.
‘Giant cluster’: This old variety originally comes from Germany and is one of the most productive tomato varieties. Hundreds of flowers form on the panicles, from which up to 40 small red tomatoes develop. The fruits have a mild, slightly sweet and sour aroma.
Cherry tomatoes / cherry tomato varieties
All small varieties with a fruit weight of up to 20 g are called cherry tomatoes. The mostly very sweet tomatoes can have a round, oval or oblong fruit shape and their color spectrum is extremely diverse.
‘Philovita F1’: This F1 hybrid is highly tolerant of late blight and brown rot. The very juicy yet crunchy tomatoes have an excellent taste.
‘Primavera’: Solid seed variety with bright red fruits and good resistance to late blight and brown rot. The juicy pulp tastes wonderfully fruity.
‘Heartbreaker’s Vita’: Very high-yielding variety with beautiful, heart-shaped tomatoes. The juicy flesh has a pleasantly sweet, fruity aroma.
‘Black Cherry’: The favorite variety “Chocolate Cherry” has lots of dark red tomatoes that taste extremely aromatic. It is suitable for both outdoor and greenhouse cultivation.
‘Lizzano F1’: F1 hybrid with good resistance to late blight and brown rot. The bright red tomato convinces with its fruity-sweet aroma. The overhanging shoots make it an ideal variety for cultivation in tubs or hanging baskets.
‘Romello’: These mini plum tomatoes are colored shiny red and their flesh tastes pleasantly fruity and sweet. As an F1 hybrid, the variety is tolerant of late blight and brown rot and ideal for cultivation in hanging baskets.
‘Limetto F1’: A high-yielding hybrid variety with lime-green tomatoes and a special, fresh, fruity aroma. As soon as the fruits have a yellowish tinge, their taste is perfectly ripe. Due to their resistance to tomato mosaic virus, Fusarium and Verticilium wilt, velvet spots and stemphylium leaf spots, they grow well in the field and in the greenhouse.
‘Benarys Gartenfreude’: ideal variety for cultivation in pots or tubs. The small tomatoes ripen bright red and their flesh is pleasantly sweet in taste.
Roma tomatoes and San Marzano tomatoes à plum tomatoes, bottle tomatoes
Due to their elongated and cylindrical shape, tomatoes and San Marzano tomatoes are also known as “plum tomatoes” or “bottle tomatoes”. Due to the high pulp content and the few seeds, they are ideal for canning, cooking or making sauces. In our special article you will learn how to preserve tomatoes.
‘Old Ivory Egg’: Bottle tomato with creamy white, egg to bottle-shaped fruits, the flesh of which stands out with its sweet-spicy aroma. The strain is very popular for its high yields and hardiness.
‘Orange Banana’: Russian variety with egg-shaped tomatoes that ripen in bright orange. Lovers appreciate the sweet aroma of the firm fruits.
‘Striped Roman’: Extraordinary, cylindrical, old tomato variety with yellow vertical stripes in the red skin. The juicy flesh is very firm and has only a few pips, and convinces with its sweet, spicy and fruity aroma. This variety is very productive in a warm location (greenhouse or house wall).
Beef tomato varieties
The large fruits of the beefsteak tomato have many chambers and can weigh between 100 g and more than 1 kg. The best-known types are “ox heart” with bag-shaped fruits and “marmande” with ribbed, flat-round tomatoes. These varieties prefer a very warm and sunny location in order to develop their excellent aroma.
‘Ox heart’: (Syn .: Coeur de Boeuf, Cuore di Bue, Bulls Heart- or Giant Ox Heart-Tomato) The old tomato variety that came to America from Hungary around 1900 is probably the best-known beefsteak tomato. The very large fruits are poor in seeds and have a sweet taste.
‘Brandywine’: Old, very good variety, the history of which can be traced back to around 1885. It owes its name to the Brandywine Creek in southern Pennsylvania. The large, fleshy tomatoes have a very good taste and the potato-like leaves are extremely decorative. You can find out more about brandywine tomatoes here.
‘White Beauty’: Very unusual variety with flat-rounded tomatoes that are particularly noticeable due to their white skin. The pulp is low in acidity and tastes mildly melting. It is very robust and also brings rich harvests outdoors.
‘Saint Pierre’: Very old and popular variety from France with large, flat-round fruits. The juicy but firm pulp impresses with its fruity aroma.
‘Marmande’: Old variety from Italy with flat-round, grained fruits. The tomatoes weigh up to 500 g and the multi-chambered pulp has a strong aroma.
‘Paul Robson’: Very old American variety with flat-oval fruits that ripen brown-red. The thick-fleshed tomatoes are extremely juicy and impress with their very own, strong taste.
‘Pineapple’: Very late-ripening variety with flat-round and more or less strongly ribbed fruits that are orange-red with yellow marbling. The soft, juicy pulp has a wonderful fruity-sweet aroma.
‘Travel tomato’: The slightly different type of tomato with a curious fruit shape. They have many combs and are heavily grooved, which means that individual pieces can be broken off without losing a lot of juice – ideal when traveling! The pulp has a spicy, slightly sour taste.
‘Red Russian’: Old variety with very large, flat-round fruits. The deep red tomatoes are ribbed and the juicy flesh tastes very aromatic.
‘Tschernij Prinz / Schwarzer Prinz’: Old robust variety from Russia, the large fruits of which are colored in a strong dark red. The fleshy tomatoes are very juicy and convince with their spicy, fruity-sweet aroma.
‘Black Crimea’: Old variety from Russia and especially popular in France. The flat, round and somewhat misshapen fruits ripen brown-red and enchant with their incomparably spicy taste. However, it is somewhat sensitive to late blight and should therefore be planted in a protected place.
Paprika-tomato varieties / bottle tomato varieties
This is not a cross between tomato and paprika, only the shape of the fruit is reminiscent of a typical block pepper.
‘Licobello’: Due to its paprika-shaped fruits, this variety is also called mini-pepper tomatoes. The red, shiny tomatoes taste pleasantly fruity. The very vigorous plant is robust and brings high yields both outdoors and in the greenhouse.
‘Yellow Stuffer’: Hollow-fruited variety with large, yellow tomatoes, the shape of which is reminiscent of a block pepper. It is particularly suitable for filling.
Wild tomatoes
Wild tomatoes are natural species that have only adapted to their habitat through natural selection and have not been changed through breeding. As a result, they are naturally robust and resistant to diseases and pests in their habitat. We will show you three representatives that are very similar to the real wild tomato, but were created through selection from wild species or crossings with garden tomatoes.
‘Red Marble’: This variety bears very small, pink-red fruits with a lush fruity hang. With their wonderful sweetness, they tempt you to snack.
‘Red currant tomato’: The name says it all! The small tomatoes from the Andes are similar to currants in their size, shape and bright red color. At the same time, they have an extremely sweet taste and differ greatly from the actual tomato aroma. The variety is also particularly resistant to diseases such as late blight and brown rot.
‘Golden Currant’: The golden-yellow nose tomato bears many small currant-like fruits that taste wonderfully sweet. A staff or trellis help the many shoots to orientate themselves. The variety is naturally insensitive to late blight, brown rot and other diseases.
