This is a fantastic tomato. A standout in our garden for its beauty and unique taste. The term ‘flavour burst’ describes the sweet, then spicy, flavour. It is unlike any other tomato we have tried. Ixtepec Highlands comes from Southern Mexico, and its unique taste and highly scalloped shape suggests it is a very old tomato.
Our seedstock comes from Seed Savers Exchange (USA). When we inquired about its history, they suggested we reach out to the SSE member who donated the seed to the Exchange. So we did! We chatted with George McLaughlin in Oklahoma, and he was able to tell us that he had collected the seed while living in Mexico in the early 1990s. George was always on the lookout for local, Indigenous tomatoes to save seed from and then share them with the SSE.
This variety was collected from a market in the small Zapotec city of Ixtepec, in southern Oaxaca. Zapotec people have been cultivating vegetables in this area for more than 5,000 years.
Plant Characteristics: This is a beautiful, highly fluted, pink tomato with peach shoulders, with fruits ranging in size from 28g to 48g (1 to 2 oz). It grows to be about 3-4 feet tall, so it will need a stake. Early and then continues producing all summer. A truly excellent tomato.
How to Plant: Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost. Plant seed 5mm (¼ inch) deep. Keep moist. When true leaves appear, transplant to a larger container if needed. Transplant outside after the danger of frost has passed/later spring.
