Orange Banana Plum Tomato is a mango-colored plum tomato that brings unexpected joy to the kitchen and garden alike. Despite its playful name, the magic here is purely visual: the dense fruits produce a strikingly bright orange sauce that transforms even tomato-sauce skeptics into fans. Growing indeterminate but mercifully compact at just 5 feet tall, plants reach full harvest in 80 days and thrive in zones 3 through 11, making them accessible to gardeners across most of North America.
Full Sun
Moderate
3-11
72in H x ?in W
—
High
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The real draw is how this variety turns the familiar tomato sauce into something visually arresting. Kids who typically reject red tomato products suddenly become enthusiasts when the sauce glowing on their plate is orange. The dense plum fruits deliver enough substance for proper cooking down into ketchup or sauce, while the compact indeterminate habit means you get a full season of production without needing a 10-foot trellis. Raw, the fruits add striking color to tomato platters and bruschetta, proving this isn't just a cooking tomato.
This variety excels as a cooking tomato, especially for sauces and ketchup where its bright orange color becomes a kitchen asset rather than a novelty. The dense fruit structure breaks down beautifully into smooth, colored preparations. Beyond the stove, the fruits work raw in composed salads and on bruschetta, where their unusual hue becomes a conversation starter and a visual counterpoint to traditional red varieties.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost. Maintain soil temperature between 68 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit for reliable germination. Transplant seedlings outdoors after hardening off once nighttime temperatures consistently stay above 50 degrees and frost danger has passed.
Transplant hardened-off seedlings into the garden after all danger of frost has passed and soil has warmed. Space plants 24 inches apart with 42 inches between rows. Choose a location with full sun exposure.
Pick fruits when they reach full mango-orange color, typically around 80 days after transplanting. Plum tomatoes are dense and can be harvested when slightly soft to the touch. For cooking and sauce-making, allow fruits to fully color on the vine for best flavor development.
Since plants are indeterminate, stake them early and maintain the central leader as the plant grows to 5 feet. Pruning suckers (shoots that grow between the main stem and branches) will improve air circulation and direct energy into fruit production rather than excessive foliage.
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