The Best French Heirloom Tomato Varieties to Grow in your Garden
French heirloom tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) offer a mix of flavor, history, and diversity that make them a perfect addition to any home garden. Whether you want to experiment with bold, colorful varieties or grow the perfect tomato for a French dish, these varieties are guaranteed to enhance your garden and your table.
Heirloom tomatoes are varieties passed down through generations, known for their superior taste, resilience, and natural beauty. Below are eight of the best French heirloom tomatoes to grow at home, followed by some additional bonus varieties.
I've picked this list of the best French tomato variteies below based on how easy they are for amateur gardeners to grow, their flavor, and suseptibility to disease.
1. Marmande tomato
'Marmande' is probably France's best-known tomato, producing large fruits ideal for slicing and cooking. From the Marmande region in Lot-et-Garonne (France), it's particularly suited to cooler climates, providing a steady and dependable harvest.
Characteristics:
- Shape: Large, slightly flattened fruits
- Size: 150 to 300 grams
- Color: Deep red
- Flavor: Rich, balanced sweet and acidic taste
- Growth: Determinate (bushy plants)
- Maturity: 55-65 days
- Productivity: High; reliably produces large yields
- Health: Good disease resistance, especially against blight
2. Noire de Crimée (Black Crimea) tomato
With its unique dark hue and smoky sweetness, 'Noire de Crimée' is a gourmet favorite. The rich flavor is perfect for fresh eating or in salads. It tolerates dry weather better than most varieties.
Characteristics:
- Size: Medium to large fruits, 150 to 300 grams
- Color: Dark purple to blackish
- Flavor: Sweet and smoky
- Growth: Indeterminate (vining)
- Maturity: 75-80 days
- Productivity: Moderate; consistent but not excessive
- Health: Susceptible to cracking, but overall resilient against most tomato diseases
3. Cœur de Bœuf (beefsteak) tomato
This heart-shaped tomato is known for its meaty texture and mild flavor, ideal for fresh dishes. Its large fruits need extra support as they grow.
Technically, it's believed to originally come from Russia, however it's extremely well-known in France. It's also worth noting that today, many tomatoes are falsely labeled as "heart-shaped". A true coeur de boeuf has smooth skin, large shoulders and a pointed underside.
Characteristics:
- Size: Large, heart-shaped fruits
- Weirght: 450-700 grams
- Color: Bright red or pink
- Flavor: Mild, sweet, with few seeds
- Growth: Indeterminate
- Maturity: 80-90 days
- Productivity: Moderate; produces fewer but larger fruits
- Health: Requires attentive care to avoid common pests
4. Ananas (Pineapple) tomato
'Ananas' is a visually striking variety known for its bicolored appearance and tropical sweetness, making it perfect for fresh eating and gourmet presentations.
Okay, technically, this one is from the US originally, however it's one of the most popular varieties in France.
Characteristics:
- Size: Very large fruits
- Weight: 400 grams up to 1 kilo
- Color: Yellow-orange with red streaks
- Flavor: Juicy, fruity and sweet
- Growth: Indeterminate
- Maturity: 85-90 days
- Productivity: Moderate to high; produces large, show-stopping fruits
- Health: Susceptible to cracking but generally resilient
5. Jaune Flammée tomato
Truly a French variety, the 'Jaune Flammée' tomato is a cocktail tomato, deep orange in color, and growing the size of a golfball.
It's ideal for adding a splash of color and a tangy-sweet flavor to a salad. It is a very productive plant with minimal disease issues.
Characteristics:
- Size: Small to medium, round fruits
- Weight: 40-60 grams
- Color: Bright orange
- Flavor: Tangy and sweet
- Growth: Indeterminate
- Maturity: 70-75 days
- Productivity: High; consistently produces abundant crops
- Health: Excellent disease resistance, particularly against fungal diseases
6. Bleue Cotentin tomato
'Bleue Cotentin' is a lovely new variety developed in la Manche (France), on the market only since 2020. It's known for its eye-catching color and well-balanced flavor. This tomato thrives in cooler climates and is a unique addition to any garden.
Characteristics:
- Size: Medium, slightly flattened fruits
- Weight: 40-120 grams
- Color: Bluish-purple tint
- Flavor: Slightly tangy, with a robust tomato flavor
- Growth: Indeterminate
- Maturity: 75-85 days
- Productivity: Moderate; produces a steady crop of strikingly colored fruits
- Health: Strong resistance to common diseases
7. Bressane Rouge tomato
The 'Bressane Rouge' tomato is a grape tomato variety hailing from La Bresse (France), it's namesake. It's highly productive and disease-resistant, known for its well-rounded flavor.
It is great for fresh eating and cooking alike. And for those who live in apartments with small balconies or terraces, this is a perfect variety to grow in pots!
Characteristics:
- Size: Medium to large, round fruits
- Weight: 50-60 grams
- Color: Bright red
- Flavor: Classic sweet-acid balance
- Growth: Indeterminate
- Maturity: 75-80 days
- Productivity: High; consistently produces generous harvests
- Health: Very resilient to pests and diseases, making it a low-maintenance option
8. Grosse de Trélazé tomato
'Grosse de Trélazé' is a very rare, very large, meaty tomato with ridges. Its rich flavor makes it a favorite for slicing, even grilling. Though it requires care to avoid cracking, its size and taste make it worth the effort.
Characteristics:
- Shape: Large, slightly flat, ribbed fruits
- Weight: 400 grams to 1 kilo
- Color: Deep red
- Flavor: Rich, meaty, with a hint of sweetness
- Growth: Indeterminate
- Maturity: 80-90 days
- Productivity: High; produces large fruits throughout the season
- Health: Requires attentive care due to susceptibility to cracking
Bonus Varieties
I couldn't stop with just ten items on my list. Here are a few of my other favorite French heirloom tomato varieties to grow (and eat!):
- Belle Rousse tomato – Known for its bright red color and tangy flavor, this variety produces medium-sized fruits that are great for fresh eating.
- Tomate Délice de Neuilly tomato – A sweet, low-acid tomato that produces medium-sized fruits with an excellent flavor, ideal for salads and sauces.
- Cocktail d'Aubagne tomato – A small, cherry-sized tomato with a burst of sweetness, perfect for snacking or adding to salads.
- Grosse du Vaucluse – A large, ribbed tomato with a classic, rich tomato flavor, ideal for slicing or use in sauces.
- Saint Jean d'Angely tomato – A highly productive variety known for its large, flavorful fruits that work well in both fresh dishes and sauces.
- Marmande Bleue tomato – A variation of the classic Marmande with a bluish hue, offering the same reliable productivity and excellent taste (pictured below).
Conclusion
Growing French heirloom tomatoes at home brings a variety of tastes, colors, and textures to your garden and kitchen. Whether you choose a 'Marmande' or the 'Bleue Cotentin,' each variety brings something unique à la table.
Try experimenting with different types to find the best tomatoes that suit your growing conditions and culinary preferences, and don’t hesitate to explore our plant seeds for sale for more ways to grow your garden.