'Plate de Haiti' Tomato

Solanum lycopersicum

Origin: Haiti

Improvement Status: Landrace

Seeds per packet: ~30

Germination tested 11/2023: 85%

Life cycle: Annual

We first grew this special Haitian tomato with seeds from The Roughwood Seed Collection, who originally acquired it from French tomato connoisseur Norbert Parreira. The name means "Flat of Haiti", but there are many flatter-shaped tomatoes (like the 'Calabacita Roja', for one). The Spanish name for this tomato is much more appropriate: 'Manzana de Hispaniola', which means "Apple of Hispaniola," as the bright-red fruit do look a like small apples. According to Roughwood's Dr. William Woys Weaver, this tomato was depicted in the 1561 Swiss herbal of Konrad Gessner, making it one of the oldest documented tomato varieties in the world. Dr. Weaver says it is best suited for sauces, but we quite enjoy it for fresh eating as well.

These seeds were grown by our friend Amirah Mitchell of Sistah Seeds in Emmaus, Pennsylvania.