VegetableTomato
Oxheart Bi Color Striped Tomato
Oxheart Bi Color Striped Tomato is an open-pollinated heirloom variety that produces strikingly beautiful yellowish-orange oxheart-shaped fruits with distinctive striping. This indeterminate slicing tomato reaches full maturity in 55 to 80 days from transplant and thrives in hardiness zones 3 through 10, making it adaptable to most North American gardens. The plants grow tall and vigorous, reaching 3 to 8 feet, and reward patient gardeners with abundant harvests of unusually shaped fruit that turns heads on any plate.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
3-10
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam With Organic Matter
Growth Stats
96 in
Height
TypeIndeterminate
Spacing
24
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
3-10
Size
96in H x ?in W
Growth
—
Care
High
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Highlights
The oxheart shape alone sets this variety apart from conventional round tomatoes, but the bi-color striping pushes it into genuinely show-stopping territory. Gardeners prize it for slicing, where its unusual form and coloring create memorable presentations. The combination of heirloom genetics, disease resistance across seven serious pathogens, and reliable productivity in most climates makes it both a beautiful conversation piece and a dependable producer that handles challenging growing seasons.
Common Uses
This variety shines as a slicing tomato, where its unusual oxheart shape and bi-color striping create striking presentations in salads, on charcuterie boards, or simply sliced and served with good olive oil and salt. The substantial size and meaty texture suit fresh eating and plating where appearance matters, making it a favorite among gardeners who grow for farmers markets or who value heirloom aesthetics alongside flavor.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Start Indoors
Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost. Provide warm soil (70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit) and bright light to encourage strong germination and stocky growth. Transplant into larger containers as seedlings develop true leaves.
Transplant Outdoors
Harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7 to 10 days. Transplant outdoors after the last frost date when soil has warmed to at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Space plants 24 inches apart in rows spaced 36 inches apart, and bury the stem deeply to encourage stronger root development.
Harvesting
Fruit matures 55 to 80 days after transplanting. Harvest when the oxheart-shaped tomatoes have developed their distinctive bi-color striping and feel slightly soft to the touch. Ripe fruit will release easily from the vine with a gentle twist. Because this is an indeterminate variety, it produces continuously through the season, so plan for regular harvests rather than a single flush.
Pruning
As an indeterminate variety, this tomato grows continuously throughout the season and benefits from careful pruning. Remove suckers (shoots that grow between the main stem and branches) to direct energy into fruit production and improve air circulation. Prune lower leaves as the plant grows taller to reduce disease pressure and maintain airflow around the base.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Pests & Diseases
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
Solanum lycopersicum
Family
Solanaceae
Genus
Solanum
Growth Habit
Indeterminate
Native Status
L48 (I)AK (I)HI (I)PR (I)VI (I)CAN (W)
History & Origin
“Oxheart tomatoes belong to an ancient lineage of non-uniform, distinctly shaped heirloom varieties that predate modern hybridization. This particular bi-color striped selection carries the hallmark of open-pollinated heirlooms preserved and refined through generations of gardeners saving seed and replanting their favorite plants. The lineage reflects how gardeners have always selected for unusual appearances alongside flavor and productivity, saving seeds from the most remarkable plants in their patches and sharing them across communities.”