There is nothing that will turn heads and keep eyes on your garden quite like the Indigo Rose Tomato. This special tomato looks deep purple—or even black! That’s what you’re in for when you grow the Indigo Rose Tomato…along with an unforgettable burst of tomato deliciousness.
Read on to learn more about this unique and tasty tomato variety!
Characteristics of Indigo Rose Tomatoes
It’s best just to discuss the obvious right off the jump: Indigo Rose Tomatoes, also called “the blue tomato,” are most widely characterized by their one-of-a-kind appearance! These tomatoes range from a lighter pinkish red to their far more infamous color—a deep purplish black.
Tomatoes mature in the sunlight to a shiny, reflective, iridescent bruise-colored shade, with the plant’s leaves and stem being a similar darker color. The fruit achieves its blackest shade where the skin is exposed to the sun; where there is more shade, it will retain that softer reddish hue.
In terms of overall appearance, Indigo Rose Tomatoes are a globular tomato variety. They grow to be about the size of your average cherry or salad tomato, weighing in at a bit over an ounce.
This variety is a late-harvest tomato with a mild flavor profile, a hint of sweetness, and higher acidity levels. They have a tender texture and a bit of a classic sour tomato aftertaste.
More on the Indigo Rose Tomato
Eating Them
Because of their size, shape, and classification—which likens them to cherry tomatoes and other salad tomato varieties—it comes as no surprise that the best way to enjoy Indigo Rose Tomatoes is on a salad! And the pop of unique color they add is a welcome bonus to any dish, too. Foodies, take heed!
If eaten raw with a crisp lettuce variety and combined with both sweet and mild flavor profiles, such as cheese and avocado or a stronger salad dressing, Indigo Rose Tomatoes truly shine. They can also be dunked in dip or dressing and eaten raw, foregoing the salad fixings altogether.
You can also cut these little tomatoes in half or quarter them and mix them with mozzarella pearls, basil, and a balsamic glaze for a delicious Caprese salad.
Or, if you enjoy cooking your own homemade tomato sauce, these small tomatoes can be cooked down and combined with other tomatoes to add a great flavor roundness and a pop of unusual color to your sauce.
Just about any tomato dish where you might think of combining mild and strong flavors to create something balanced that truly sings, you should consider the Indigo Rose Tomato a strong candidate for the mix!
Health Benefits
Despite brandishing such unique, uncommon color profiles, the Indigo Rose Tomato contains many of the same health benefits as its contemporaries.
Some of these health benefits include high levels of vitamins, such as Vitamins Ca and A, which help immensely with a healthy immune system and good eyesight. These tomatoes are rich in potassium iron, and dietary fiber, which helps keep your bodily systems overall functioning at their optimal levels.
Because of the higher water content in tomatoes as well, consuming them regularly and in good quantities can help boost your hydration levels—something many folks may not even realize they desperately need!
However, the most significant for Indigo Rose Tomatoes is their high content of two antioxidants: lycopene and anthocyanin. Lycopene is the better-known of these two nutrients, as it is evident in all tomato varieties: it’s what gives them that infamous red shade.
Anthocyanin, however, is much more rarely found in tomatoes. This antioxidant is more prevalent in the skins of blueberries, as it dwells within that darker shading you find on those as well as in the Indigo Rose Tomato.
These two antioxidants deliver a powerhouse of health benefits alone. They help protect the cells in your body from damage by free radicals and reduce overall inflammation in your system.
This helps keep you healthier overall and can reduce physical maladies, from painful menstrual cycles to headaches.
Growing At Home
Because they are smaller tomato plants and do not take up a lot of space, Indigo Rose Tomatoes are considered ideal for home growing. Depending on your preference, they can be grown in your garden or in a pot. They tend to thrive either way!
Preparing and Planting
The first step is to determine the optimal area where you will grow your tomato plants! These tomatoes thrive on strong, full sunlight for a minimum of 6 hours a day. They also do best in well-draining, looser soil.
As with most varieties of tomatoes, it is not recommended to direct sow your Indigo Rose Tomato seeds in the ground. Instead, they should be started indoors roughly 6 to 8 weeks before the final threat of frost has passed in your area.
You can begin your Indigo Rose Tomatoes in a starter pot, then transfer to larger, 3 to 4-inch pots once they sprout their first set of true leaves. Keep them fertilized every 10 to 14 days, and harden them off by placing them outdoors in the warmth of the day, every day, for one week before you plan to transplant.
You will want to plant your young tomato plants about 24 to 36 inches apart, with 3 to 4 feet between rows, burying the plants in composted soil up to the top 2 sets of leaves. Water the soil around them, but not too heavily. If you plan to stake them for added support, now is the time to do so.
Caring and Maintaining
You will want to water your Indigo Rose Tomatoes regularly, but not to the point of oversaturation. Fertilize every few weeks and feed your tomato plant with a fish emulsion blend every 2 weeks. Keep an eye out for flea beetles, tomato hornworms, and blight, which the Indigo Rose variety is susceptible to.
Indigo Rose Tomatoes mature late, so you should be harvesting from August through October. Watch for the shaded side of the fruits to redden. Once it does, this indicates ripeness!
Where To Buy Indigo Rose Tomato Seeds
Occasionally, you can find Indigo Rose Tomato seeds at garden centers and nurseries. You can also source seeds online from reliable seller Hoss Tools if you’re not up for making the trip to a store.
Wrapping Up the Indigo Rose Tomato
Excited to grow the absolutely stunning Indigo Rose Tomato in your home garden? Before you get started, be sure to check out our Tomato Plants page for all sorts of insight on growing and caring for your tomatoes.
- About the Author
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Renee Dugan is a lifelong writer, professional editor, and lover of all things nature, gardening and the big outdoors.
A Midwest girl who’s been in the garden since she could first hold a hand trowel, Renee’s love of growing things has bloomed into a passion for healthy living, holistic lifestyle, and knowing where our food comes from.
Now a mother and maturing gardener herself, Renee is passionate about channeling everything she knows and continues to learn about gardening into lessons for her son and others. Her excitement for sharing this knowledge is only superseded by her excitement about being able to finally grow her own citrus plants in pots.
Renee can be reached at renee.s.dugan@gmail.com