7 Common Types of Tomato Plants to Grow

Tomatoes are some of the most popular garden-variety plants to grow. When deciding to grow tomato plants of your own, it’s important to know the characteristics of each type to make the best choice.  

What are the most common varieties of tomato plants? Beef Steak, Brandywine, Gardener’s Delight, Cherry, and Heirloom are among the most popular tomato plants to grow in gardens. That said, there are currently over 10,000 varieties of tomato plants, and more are bred annually. The most common tomato plants are the ones that grow red tomatoes. They are, however, all different from one another in shape, size, color, and taste. 

Read on below to learn more about the most common types of tomato plants to grow in your garden!

About Common Tomato Plant Varieties

Tomato plants originate from the southern Americas, hence they grow best in warm and sunny climates.

They can be determinate, which means they set all their fruit at once when they reach their mature height. Or they can be indeterminate, meaning the plants grow in long vines and set ripened fruit throughout the growing season. 

Further, different tomato plants produce fruits of various shapes, sizes, colors, texture consistencies, and flavors. That’s why it’s important to put some thought into which types of tomato plants to grow in your garden!

7 Common Types of Tomato Plants to Grow

With so many varieties available, and more hybrids and GMO types bred each year, it can be challenging to pick the best tomato species for growing in your garden. That’s why we’ve put a list of the most common types of tomato plants and their main characteristics together for you:   

1. Beef Steak Tomatoes

One of the largest varieties, each Beef Steak tomato weighs 450 grams on average. They are typically pink and have a meaty-type flesh. The taste is great yet a little mild. 

2. Heirloom Tomatoes

The Heirloom species of tomatoes come in different colors and shapes. As the shape and color change, also the taste of these tomatoes changes from sweet to mild tangy. They are not disease-resistant though, as they are the oldest non-GMO-type tomato plants. 

3. Cherry Tomatoes

Cherry types are the smallest and most perfectly round tomato fruits. Although they are mostly red, there is a wide variety of colors like yellow, green, purple, and even black. The taste is one of the sweetest out of all tomatoes. 

4. Gardener’s Delight Tomatoes

The flavor of the Gardener’s Delight variety of tomato plants is extra sweet. They are juicy with thin skin. This kind of plant is indeterminate, which means the plant grows in long vines that usually require support. This plant is one of the most commonly grown.  

5. Celebrities Tomatoes

The Celebrities tomato plants are red and round. This type of tomato plant is a hybrid that produces long stems holding up to 20 plum tomatoes each. The plants require caging or stakes if not trellis. 

6. Brandywine Tomatoes

This famous tomato variety is among the slowest maturing types, taking up to 100 days to reach maturity. The Brandywine tomato fruit is mostly red, but even when fully ripe the tomatoes have green areas near the stem. They are one of the tastiest tomato species on the planet.

7. Cherokee Purple Tomatoes

Cherokee Purple tomato plants produce fruits with a dense and juicy texture with small seeds. The fruit has a deep red color with green areas near the stem. It’s one of the several varieties that when fully ripe, the flesh stays green. These plants are one of the most resistant to disease.

Suggested Reading: How to Fix Common Problems With Tomato Plants