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Purple Calabash Tomato Plant

8.95

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4 review(s) | Add your review

- Spacing: 32 inches
- Days to Harvest: 85
- Production: Indeterminate
- At least 6–8 hours of sunlight
- Each 3-Inch Pot contains 1 Purple Calabash Tomato Plant

Plant Features

Purple Calabash tomatoes are garden oddities, prized for their ruffled, medium-sized fruits that pack a punch. This heirloom variety produces dark burgundy to purple tomatoes weighing 4 to 6 ounces, with ribbed, firm skin—great for salads, sauces, or fresh eating. The flesh is juicy and meaty, delivering a rich, tangy tomato flavor with a hint of smokiness.

Why pick Purple Calabash? From pre-Columbian Mexico and grown by Jefferson, this indeterminate plant reaches 4–6 feet with support, yielding a steady crop through the season. Its cracking resistance makes it a unique choice for gardeners wanting historic, tasty tomatoes until frost.

Grown naturally and pesticide-free, our Purple Calabash starter plants arrive healthy and ready to thrive in your garden. Nurtured for success, they ensure a flavorful harvest of these distinctive tomatoes.

Attribute name	Attribute value
Growing Guide
When to Plant	Transplant in frost-free weather, nights above 45°F (spring or late summer)
Soil Setup	Use loose, well-draining soil, pH 6.0–6.8, with compost or manure (fall prep ideal)
Watering Tips	Soak in-ground plants deeply 1–2 times weekly (unless rain suffices), keep leaves dry if evening; keep containers moist, up to twice daily in heat
Feeding Your Plants	Apply a balanced fertilizer or our recommended Espoma Tomato-tone at planting and every 3 weeks thereafter
Shaping & Support	Prune suckers (side shoots between stem and branches) if desired—it’s optional. Support plants with stakes or cages
Pest & Disease Control	Check for tomato hornworms (look for chewed leaves). Watch for blight or fungal issues, and treat with Serenade Garden Disease Control or copper fungicide if needed
When to Harvest	Skin yields slightly to finger pressure and fruit reaches its mature color
Storing Your Harvest	Store at room temp up to 1 week

Attribute name	Attribute value
Plant Characteristics
Plant Type	Heirloom: Handed down for generations; seeds breed true
Growth	Vigorous, 4–6 feet with support
Habit	Sprawling growth pattern - Low, wide spread
Foliage Color	Green leaves
Flower Type	Produces small, yellow, star-shaped flowers that typically grow in clusters; flowers are self-pollinating but may benefit from gentle shaking or pollinator activity to improve fruit set
Production Time	Fruit ripens throughout the season
Tomato Companions	Carrots loosen soil for tomato roots, chives improve flavor and repel pests, garlic bulbs and onions deter pests, marigolds block nematodes and other pests, and parsley attracts beneficial insects
Plant Use	Grown for food production
Disease Resistance	Cracking

Product Reviews

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Top Reviews

Tomatoes

Great selection. I'm very picky about the tomato I grow and I can't find these varieties at the local nursery's .I purchased tomato plants last year and loved them. The plants are packed well and the plants are healthy upon arrival. I got a great harvest last year and by the looks of the plants, I should get another one this year. Order early, they sell out fast.

From Joan | May 04, 2023

Tomato and wine….

Arrived safe, secure and healthy. Transplanted into a raised bed of tomatoes, carrots, pickling cuts and a variety of basil. Took its time with initial growth after transplant, but thriving now. Beginning to flower, no signs of tomatoes yet. As a confessed wine and tomato-aholic, who could go wrong with these tomatoes?

From Lesly | June 26, 2022

Purple Calabash Tomato

Got this to try in place of a Cherokee Purple variety. Will have to wait until harvest to compare the tastes. Plant came nicely packaged and was very healthy. Transplanted well and seems to be thriving. Looking forward to our first harvest!

From anonymous | May 23, 2019

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