Tomatoes are way more exciting than the usual red round ones at the store. I’ve found 17 unique varieties that most people haven’t even heard of—and they’re total gems.
Some are striped, some are purple, and a few taste like little bites of sunshine. I’ve grown a handful myself, and honestly, they made my garden (and meals) so much more fun.
If you’re up for something a little different this season, these tomatoes are worth every inch of space!
1. Black Krim
Originally from the Isle of Krim in the Black Sea, these beauties offer a smoky, rich flavor that regular tomatoes can’t match. The fruits develop a deep mahogany-purple color with green shoulders when ripe.
Many gardeners consider Black Krim the gateway to heirloom tomato addiction! They produce medium to large fruits with an intense, slightly salty taste that makes incredible BLTs and caprese salads.
2. Green Zebra
Forget everything you know about tomatoes needing to turn red. Green Zebras stay green even when fully ripe, developing beautiful golden stripes and a tangy, almost citrusy flavor profile.
Created in the 1980s by tomato breeder Tom Wagner, these 2-inch fruits aren’t truly heirlooms but have become garden favorites anyway. Their bright, zesty taste makes them perfect for fresh eating and colorful salads.
3. Brandywine
Dating back to the 1880s, Brandywine tomatoes represent everything wonderful about heirloom varieties. Their massive fruits can weigh up to 2 pounds each, with a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity.
The potato-leaf foliage sets these apart visually from other tomato plants. While they take longer to mature (80-100 days), patient gardeners are rewarded with what many consider the best-tasting tomato in existence.
4. Sungold
Ask any tomato enthusiast about their favorite cherry variety, and Sungold will likely top the list. These tiny golden-orange fruits pack an incredibly sweet, tropical flavor that makes them utterly addictive right off the vine.
Remarkably productive even in challenging conditions, a single plant can produce hundreds of tomatoes throughout the season. Children who claim to dislike tomatoes often change their minds after trying these candy-like treasures.
5. Paul Robeson
Named after the famous African American singer and activist, these Russian-developed tomatoes offer a complex, smoky-sweet flavor profile that serious tomato lovers chase. The medium-sized fruits have a beautiful brick-red color with dark green shoulders.
Despite being relatively unknown in supermarkets, Paul Robeson consistently wins taste tests among gardeners. They perform exceptionally well in cooler climates where other varieties struggle.
6. Mortgage Lifter
Behind this curious name lies a fascinating Depression-era story. Radiator repairman Charlie Byles bred these massive tomatoes and sold the plants for $1 each – eventually earning enough to pay off his mortgage!
The pink-red beefsteak fruits regularly reach 1-2 pounds with very few seeds and a delicious, meaty texture. Remarkably productive and disease-resistant, they continue producing throughout the growing season.
7. Chocolate Sprinkles
Imagine the perfect snacking tomato that’s as beautiful as it is delicious. Chocolate Sprinkles produces striking red cherry tomatoes with dark green and bronze striping that look like they’ve been artfully painted.
Beyond their extraordinary appearance, these crack-resistant fruits offer a rich, sweet flavor. The vigorous plants yield massive clusters of fruit, making them ideal for gardeners with limited space who want maximum harvest.
8. Aunt Ruby’s German Green
Don’t wait for these beefsteaks to turn red – you’ll be waiting forever! When ripe, they remain a beautiful lime green with a slight yellow blush and subtle translucence.
Handed down through generations in a Tennessee family, these tomatoes offer a sweet, spicy flavor with hints of clove and nutmeg. The fruits can weigh up to 1 pound each and make spectacular BLTs where their unique color creates conversation.
9. Blush
Elongated like tiny bananas, these striking yellow cherry tomatoes develop red stripes that intensify when exposed to sunlight. Their juicy flesh offers tropical flavor notes of pineapple and citrus that make them irresistible.
Developed by artisan breeder Fred Hempel, Blush tomatoes have quickly become favorites among chefs and market gardeners. They maintain exceptional quality for days after picking, unlike many delicate heirlooms.
10. Indigo Rose
Looking more like plums than tomatoes, these revolutionary fruits develop an almost black-purple skin due to anthocyanins – the same antioxidants found in blueberries. The dramatic color develops on portions exposed to sunlight.
Underneath the purple exterior lies bright red flesh with a balanced, slightly acidic flavor. Developed at Oregon State University, they’re not just novelties but nutritional powerhouses with higher antioxidant content than typical tomatoes.
11. Costoluto Genovese
From Italy’s culinary heartland comes this deeply ribbed, scalloped tomato that looks like something from a Renaissance painting. Their distinctive fluted shape has been treasured by Italian families for generations.
Don’t let their unusual appearance fool you – these medium-sized red fruits offer intense tomato flavor that intensifies when cooked. They make extraordinary tomato sauce and paste because of their low water content and rich taste.
12. Brad’s Atomic Grape
Looking like cosmic jewelry, these elongated cherry tomatoes display incredible color shifts as they ripen – from green with purple stripes to olive-green, red, brown and blue/purple.
Created by Wild Boar Farms, they’re not just beautiful but delicious with sweet, rich flavor. The fruits grow in massive clusters, with each tomato containing very few seeds compared to most cherry varieties.
13. Berkeley Tie-Dye
True to its name, this psychedelic beauty features swirls of green, red, and yellow that look hand-painted. The medium-sized fruits offer complex, rich flavor that many describe as perfectly balanced between sweet and savory.
Another Wild Boar Farms creation, these tomatoes perform exceptionally well in cooler coastal climates. Their stunning appearance makes them market favorites, but their outstanding flavor is what keeps gardeners growing them year after year.
14. Cherokee Purple
Reportedly preserved by Cherokee Native Americans, these dusky purple-pink tomatoes have developed a cult following among gardeners and chefs alike. Their rich, sweet flavor often has a slightly smoky undertone that’s unmistakable.
The medium to large fruits have green shoulders even when ripe and feature a deep crimson interior. While not the prettiest tomato, their incredible flavor has earned them space in gardens worldwide.
15. Sunrise Bumblebee
Bursting with sunny yellows and reds, these marble-sized cherry tomatoes bring brightness to any garden. The fruits develop a beautiful swirled pattern of yellow with red streaks that intensifies as they ripen.
Sweet and fruity with thin skin, they’re perfect for snacking and salads. The crack-resistant fruits grow in abundant clusters on vigorous plants that continue producing until frost.
16. Pineapple
Massive yellow beefsteaks marbled with red streaks that create a starburst pattern when sliced – these tomatoes are visual showstoppers. Some fruits can weigh up to 2 pounds with very few seeds and a sweet, fruity flavor.
Despite their tropical name, they aren’t pineapple-flavored but do offer subtle fruity notes. Their low acidity makes them perfect for those who find regular tomatoes too tangy.
17. Reisetomate
Perhaps the strangest-looking tomato you’ll ever grow, Reisetomate (German for “traveler tomato”) appears to be multiple cherry tomatoes fused together in a lumpy cluster. Legend says German travelers could break off pieces as needed without cutting.
Despite their alien appearance, they offer good tomato flavor with moderate acidity. Conversation starters in any garden, they’ll have neighbors wondering what bizarre experiment you’re conducting!