A few years back I came across some Indigo rose seeds. I’ve sown them and was amazed by the wonderful color of this tomato. Beautiful little purple balls on a bright green plant soon turned into a real center display among all my tomatoes.This tomato developed by Jim Myers using traditional breeding processes has been wrongly judged and many times named as a GMO plant only because of its color. Most people when they see a dark purple tomato have a feeling that this color can’t be bred the natural way. The truth about the tomato Indigo rose is quite simple. This tomato is filled with anthocyanins, antioxidants found in all bright-colored vegetables and fruits. The highest amounts of it can be found in black currants, blackberries, and blueberries. In contact with the sun, the skin turns into a dark red, almost black, or purple color. 
The same thing is happening with Indigo rose. The side of the fruit which is exposed to high amounts of the sun turns into a dark purple color while the side which is not in the sun stays green(red when ripe). 

Although its color makes it special, the Indigo rose is grown like every other tomato.Seeds are similar to cherry-type tomatoes, a bit smaller than the beefsteak tomato seeds. They germinate from 7 to 21 days. The plant likes full sun, leaves are regular, green-colored, it’s open-pollinated and it takes 70-80 days for it to mature. 

The plant is indeterminate but more compact than the usual cherry-type tomatoes, it doesn’t grow over 1,5m with an average growth from 1-1,5m(3 to 5 feet). Very resistant to drought, but from my experience in the very hot and dry summers, it never reaches its full size. Last year when we had months without rain and temperatures around 38°C all my plants were around 1m.

Fruits grow in clusters with huge amounts of fruits. Although they are pretty small and no bigger than a golf ball the amount on one plant is very satisfying.

 The taste is very mildly sweet. If the fruit isn’t harvested in the right time the fruit can be almost tasteless or mildly sour. When ripe fruits are dark purple on top and dark red on the bottom, skin is thick and the meat inside is dark red.

They are very firm and don’t get transport damage.Indigo rose isn’t the tomato that could be used for cooking because it doesn’t contain lots of meat inside, but it is perfect for sandwiches, salads, and drying. I’ve used it every year as sun-dried tomato over the winter. After the fruit is dried its taste multiplies and it is even tastier.If you are looking for a tomato that will enrich your salads or just bring some color to your garden then Indigo rose is a perfect tomato for you. It can even be grown in pots with a small support cane.