Oranges

A Garden Club in Winnipeg spices up each gardening year by choosing a different color of vegetable plant or flower to grow for that year. In March (2011) I was asked to join them in their activities and discovered that the color was Orange! Needless to say, I had brought along some Orange tomato seeds and they cleaned me out! What a novel idea! I asked if they had ever chosen Black? Well no, they said, but that would be a good idea for next year! (Check out some intense Orange varieties on Flickr!) This is a section that faithfully sells out for me every year. These seem to have a cult tomato following!

Will remain online for educational purposes. Operating on a “Hobby” basis.

Occasionally we may have “extra” seed. Pkts. marked below. If nothing marked…then it is “N/A”.

  1. Aladdin’s Lamp – Back for 2025! Seed originally sourced from Russia. Has been making the garden circles for a while. Here is an old fashioned flavored, mild yet very meaty Roma tomato. Shape is unique, bearing a chubby wide pear shape at its bottom end and narrowing slightly to the top stem end. Color is a brilliant true orange! Fantastic sized fruits… 8 to 14 ox. Heavy producer that I just love!   Pkt…$3.00
  2. Amana Orange – A beautiful heirloom tomato named for the Amana Colonies in Amana, Iowa. Large glowing 1 lb. orange beefsteaks that are slightly flattened and ribbed…5” across. They bear an interesting mild sweet flavor. (Hybrids are losing this flavor gene.) Ind. 75-90 days     Pkt…$3.00
  3. Apfelsin – (aka Apelzin) the originals were obtained through (either) Andrey Baranovski, from Minsk (town), Belarus (state) of Russia or K. Geza. In my opinion, one of the brightest orange fruits I have ever seen. Heavy producer. One can expect 200 to 400 gram round beef-type fruits that are not only attractive but plentiful and extremely tasty. Plants grow to 1.5 meters tall. Ind. 75 days    Pkt…$3.00
  4. Auriga – (aka Aurega) from Palim, France. Here is another super vibrant orange with more carotene ( about 10 x’s) than any other variety! Noticed a slight ting of red in some fruits…maybe how they were grown or where. The deepest orange/red I have seen. Fruits are golf-ball sized & shaped, with a rich, excellent tart flavor offering a lot of juice. Plants do not grow too tall, but are strong. Production was the highest of the “Oranges” in garden trials. Fruits will keep well after picking. Ind. 72 days   Pkt…$3.00
  5. Caro Rich – One of my personal favorites to return. Improved version of “Caro Red“. A small power house of flavor and deep orange color. Named thus because it contains one of the highest levels of beta carotene of all tomato varieties…10’s x normal values! Which explains why it happens to have some of the deepest Orange colour values to date. Will arrive as either slightly flattened (if large…) or perfect round spheres if medium sized. Fruits have sweet, mild acid and rich taste. Large bushy plants.       Pkt…$3.00
  6. Cheesemanii – (aka Cheeseman, aka Lycopersion cheesemanii f. minor) A wild species that looks like and tastes better the smallest “grape” tomatoes from the grocery store! Small pear/oval shaped, bright orange/red with a piercing complex acidic and sweet flavor. Taste tests rate this one – 9/10. This variety was used in breeding programs for its interestingly powerful beta-carotene gene. Plants grow “wild” with huge masses of fruit. Very rare. Ind. 60 days   Limited  Pkt…$3.00
  7. Chukkloma Orange – A juicy Roma (if there is such a thing!) Brilliant orange-yellow large oblong fruits that have excellent flavor and are not dry. I really liked its performance in our gardens trials in 2009 & 2011, noting its high production all season long. Very comparable to another favorite “Orange Banana“, only better for smaller gardens. Ind. 70 days    Pkt…$3.00
  8. Dina – New for 2025! Another dwarf! Perfect variety for smaller gardens and even for a pot. Medium fruits, showed to be  wonderful roundish bright orange/yellow globes of complex sweet and acidic flavour. Very glad to add this one to our collection. Rec’s from my tomato crazy friend Tammy Clements 2018.     Pkt….$3.00
  9. Earl of Edgecomb – A heirloom from a New Zealand sheep farmer, who (claiming his title in England) became the 7th Earl of Edgecombe in 1960 bringing this tomato with him when he came. Absolutely defect-free, gorgeous bright orange globes of 3” (12-16oz) that have (in each) 8 seed cavities, thick walls with meaty interiors, offering very tart, rich flavor…making them perfect for sauces and canning. Plants show generally good disease resistance with few problems. Heavy production. Ind. 73-90 days   Pkt…$3.00
  10. Grand Belgium – No known history. This has become a favorite of a local grower, producing beautiful huge, orange, meaty beefsteaks averaging 2-3 lbs Almost all meat with only a little juice! Tasty! Plants were extremely healthy and productive in ’09. ( Be warned: Occasionally its genetics will throw a pink version, equally large and impressive.) Do not mix it up with… “Giant Belgium“, as one can see by their names…not hard to do! Regular leaf. Ind. 85 days  
  11. Indian Moon – obtained originally from the Eastern Native Seed Savers…believed to be a Navajo heirloom. A non-cracking, of great uniformity, amazingly beautiful, huge, rich, “harvest moon” golden-orange beefsteak with firm flesh and delightfully refreshing sweet, low acid flavor. Some say that it has a small seed cavity. Plants are reliable, but not over-achievers. Rare. Ind. 80 days
  12. Jaune Famme (Orange) – (aka Flammee) French heirloom given to the Seed Savers Exchange. The size and color of apricots…looking for all the world, like apricots when preserved! Fruits are (prone to cracking) & borne in clusters with there appearing some variability in the sizes on each plant. Generally they are about 4-6 oz, orange with the occasional pink/red interior, bearing 2 seed cavities and intense flavor. Produces very well in extreme drought conditions. Ind. 70 days
  13. Kellogg’s Breakfast – a heirloom from West Virginia. A beautiful giant orange beefsteak preserved by Darrell Kellogg, a railroad supervisor from Redford, MI. (When I first heard of the name…I thought what has Kellogg’s cereal have to do with a tomato? But then our wonderful history never ceases to amaze me!) I’m told this one took 5th in the Iowa State Fair for jumbo orange beefsteaks! Fruits can reach 1-2lbs of high quality eating. Plants do not over-produce… providing the gardener with just enough jumbos for the job. Mine have never been aggressive plants. Fruits are thin-skinned, meaty with few seeds (seeds around edge) offering full, sweet intense flavor. Ind. 80 days  
  14. Kentucky Beefsteak – A wonderful deep orange beefsteak tomato that will grow to 2 lbs, a heirloom from the hills of eastern Bluegrass State…Kentucky (? Sweetwater Nursery). Many say “wow” for its flavor…very sweet, mild and fruity. With further selection and more trials, I seem to have ironed out its leaf stress problems. Seems it needs more room when grown together with others in trays! There are still some variables in its finishing time. 75-1oo days! Ind.      Pkt…$3.00
  15. Maylor Roth’s Orange (Brandywine) – Wow and I’ll only say this when I’m impressed, as I see tons of tomato varieties all the time! Huge and I mean huge meaty beefsteak 2lb’ers again with that strange pale yet somewhat vibrant glowing Orange strain. Also its production was exceptional too. Flavor was indeed sweet but with enough acid to make it memorable. Have to see it to believe it.    Pkt…$3.00
  16. Mini Orange – Too big for a cherry, too small (2-3oz) for it to be classed as a medium. These perfect (as Canadians would say…toonie sized) globes are fruity and just fine tasting. Plants that grew out this summer (Wow…Just Wow!) were close to 3 ft and very bushy. Heavy production of sweet brilliant orange fruits everywhere! 70-80 days    Pkt…$3.00
  17. Nebraska Wedding – heirloom from the Great Plains of Nebraska (seems to have some Canadian connections as well) Because it is an early “setter”, as early as June, being the month of weddings…these were given as gifts to the bride! (Now, I am wondering…the fruit or the seed? And what about the white dress?) Plants, tolerant of a wide variety of climate issues, produce 8-10oz (3”) fruits of good flavor, in brilliant orange in acceptable amounts. Shoulders are smooth and never crack. Sweeter than average with low acid levels. Produced in modest clusters. Ind. 80-100 days       Pkt…$3.00
  18. Orange Banana – (aka Banantchik) History says that this absolutely wonderful tomato (favorite of mine…) came from the Ukrainian. I never knew that a “Roma” could produce sooooo much fruit in such a brilliant color! Beautiful carrot orange, banana-pepper-shaped, paste-type fruits, 3” to 4” long with pointy ends bear from bottom to top of 6 ft. plants. Plants grow vigorously with enormous yields. They are also not too dry with enough juice that one can eat them straight from the plant and really enjoy them. Sometimes, one is all you need! Ind. 80 days       Pkt…$3.00
  19. Orange Blossom – Developed by Brent Loy @ the University of New Hampshire. In my first test trials (2006), of this one and the previously mentioned, were grown side by side. I spent more time walking to these 2, than any other in the entire patch of 102 that I trialed that year! They just drew me like a bee to honey! Flavor was awesome! The plants are so strong, that I could describe their leaves as semi-rugose & only growing to 4 ft. The clusters of fruit (with 3 or 4 in each) were many, each with its bounty of large 8-14oz. sized offerings. Their colors were bright orange, like little pumpkins! For such a large variety…production (which is also massive) is early@ 60 days! Ind.        Pkt…$3.00
  20. Orange (pale Yellow) Oxheart – Having a real hard time trying to classify where I should place this one, as its color is something I have never seen before. Somewhere around a pale yellow/orange. Shared a photo on FB this past summer. Indeed one of the largest “hearts” I have in my collection! Healthy plants grow out 1-2 lb fruits that are meaty AND juicy at the same time, with few seeds. Production was quite fierce for an oxheart! Flavor is rich and texture smooth. The shape of this variety is smoother, plumper…in a real heart form. Won’t be able to hide this one in a sandwich with so much flesh peeking out! Ind. 80-90 days      Pkt…$3.00
  21. Orange Patio – history unknown. I was quite impressed with this wee patio form. It offered good disease resistance along with a stocky , compact nature…growing only to 18” tall. The fruits were perfectly round, 2-4 oz., “neon” bright orange globes that just happened to have excellent sharp/sweet flavor, combined with juice and smooth texture. Good to great yields can be expected on this one. Determinate 56 days  
  22. Orange Pixie – originally obtained from the S.S.Ex. (US) An orange “reverted” version of the “Red River (hyb.) II”. Plants are also 18” tall and stocky. 1 ½” globe fruits are meaty with old-fashioned flavor and are orange/yellow in color. Determinate 52 days   
  23. Orange Roma – not much is known about this one. Exactly like the original “Roma”, but with deep brilliant orange colored skin. Fruits are heavy, about 3 ½” long by 1 ¾” wide. A definite paster by all standards. For several years in a row, this one has produced tons of good sized fruits, no matter what the weather was that year! Another favorite. Ind. 78 days   Pkt…$3.00
  24. Orange Strawberry – don’t know why I have, several favorites in the orange category, but I’m happy to say…that I do. Here is another consistent outstanding performer. The plants are huge and strong with regular leaves, not wispy. The production is also outstanding AND the fruits a bonus…icing on the cake! Large intense orange, heart-shaped fruits shaped like gigantic strawberries, with soft points. Sizes range from 8oz to 1lb. The outside of the fruits are gently ribbed from stem to tip. The flesh is also brilliant orange, meaty, very flavorful and rich, with just the right amount of sugar to acid. Ind. 80-90 days
  25. Penulina Orange – can’t get enough of those bright orange, 1″ “tear-drop” fruits (bearing a tiny point at their blossom end) against emerald green foliage in a pot! A first for this G.H. – an orange pear shaped small cherry fruited variety! Here is one perfect for hanging baskets & small pots, as it is very compact, not growing higher than 12-18″. Determinate 60 days
  26. Persimmon (Orange) – Heirloom dating back to the 1880’s. ( see photos on Flickr…) One of the best tasting tomatoes I have ever eaten. Fruits are HUGE!, ranging from 2 to 3 lbs (with the occasional one being a little smaller….). In a few trials, found 2-3 such giants (on ONE truss) hanging on for dear life, with such weight! Plants do not get tall, a mere 4 ft if that. The shape is the grand beefsteak, with flattened globes. The color is stunning at a distance and the flesh is the same. Did not find a lot of seeds. The taste is ambrosia…very delicious and sweet, gently acidic with old-fashioned tomato overtones. One grower said the fruits look like apricots when canned. A Persimmon in disguise! Good yields with great resistance to cracking, noted. Ind. 80 days    Pkt…$3.00
  27. Sun Gold – Back for 2025! I have been told this particular variety is not an F1, but actually an OP and now I believe it. Beautiful, tiny, bright tangerine-orange round cherry tomato fruits bursting with zip, tang and old-fashioned flavor…not sweet, so be aware) Unlike any other! 2014 showed plants were on the small side structurally, but not on production.  Ind. 75 days     Pkt…$3.00
  28. Sungold – Back for 2025! From Sweden. Yellow/orange round .5oz cherry fruits that kick it up several notches in the taste department! Very, very tasty….with high sugar…an almost wine-like flavor. Plants are of bush-form, staying small. Determinate 57 days    Pkt…$3.00
  29. Sun Sugar (M’s) – Grown out for 4 years. This year it really showed off, deep orange loonie-sized heavy fruits that had unbeatable flavor – sweet, fruity and addictive. Strong Plants were 5-6 ft. tall with heavy reliable production. It reminds us all of our childhood days of munching fresh wee delicious tomatoes, trying not to let Ma & Pa catch us in the garden AGAIN! Highly recommended!   Ind. 60-65 days
  30. Tangerine – reintroduced in 1992 by heirloom Seeds…like an original of Gleckler’s in the 1880’s. Very large plants, producing equally large orange tangerine-shaped (round) fruits, in good crops. Fruits are large 1lb’rs…by late summer(average is 8-12oz)…being meaty, fruity-sweet with a citrus bit. One grower described it as being a large orange…heart-shape ? Ind. 85-90 days