7 Tomato Varieties for Hot Climate Homesteads

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As some of you know, I went wild this past spring and planted 52 different varieties of tomatoes to try out in my garden. The months have come and gone and the dead heat of Texas summer has caused my tomatoes to fizzle to a halt. I figured now would be a good time to recap my tomato experiment and let you all know what my favorite 7 varieties ended up being in our hot climate homestead (zone 8b).

7 Best Hot Climate Tomato Varieties

Some of these varieties may be familiar to you, and some of them might be more obscure. Some old reliables came in on top as well as some new varieties I had never heard of before this season. Let’s review some tomatoes, shall we?

#7 Celebrity Hybrid

Many of you are familiar with the ‘Celebrity’ tomato, as it is carried in many big box garden stores around the country. I had never grown it, so after a few of my seedlings died early on I decided to replace them with a few hyrbid varieties to try. Out of those hybrids (‘Big Brandy’, ‘Marzinara’, etc…) ‘Celebrity’ was clearly the top producer.

The tomatoes were consistent in size and were perfectly round and shiny. A very pretty tomato to fill your basic tomato needs. The plants didn’t get too gangly, which is probably due to this variety being a semi-determinate. It still stayed manageable with minimal pruning and upkeep which was nice. The flavor was solid, but nothing exceptional, and the plant wasn’t producing buckets and buckets of maters. But still, this was a solid beginner’s plant and did well with our brutal heat and dry conditions.

#6 Abu Rawan

It’s no surprise that the ‘Abu Rawan’ did well in a hot climate. It is an heirloom variety hailing from Iraq. Some of the tomatoes developed some scarring around the top as they grew – so they weren’t as pristine looking as the ‘Celebrity’. Slightly smaller and more irregularly shaped than a hybrid, they packed more flavor and richness. During mid-season (roughly May-June) the plant was packed with tomatoes (so many that one of the branches drooped all the way to the ground!), but the production slowed as mid-summer approached. This plant grew to be quite unsightly and viney and required a good prune every now and then which was interesting because it is listed as a determinate type.

#5 Enrica Cimelo Toscana

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This variety is a mouthful, but it was clearly the most beautiful tomato we grew this year. It was not a huge producer by any means, but the extra large, richly red colored tomatoes were a delight to look at. *Almost* too pretty to eat! The ‘Enrica’ was the first plant to sprout a tomato, but it took a long while to ripen on the vine (maybe because it produced so early when it wasn’t super warm). I would definitely grow this variety again because of the spectacular taste and beautiful flesh. I would not expect it to fulfill all of our tomato needs, since it only gave off a few massive fruits. It also seems fairly difficult to find seeds, since it is a more obscure Italian heirloom variety.

#4 Speckled Roman

This was a really beautiful variety! I had never seen nor heard of this type, but I was really blown away by how cool these tomatoes looked. They had the shape and size of a Roma tomato (slightly pointier and some even started to curve). They were brilliantly striped and started changing colors from green to orange-yellow to red which was a really spectacular rainbow sight in the garden. Again, not a huge producer, but the fruits were firm, strong, and did well in the heat. The plant stayed fairly compact which was nice from an upkeep standpoint!

#3 Manyel

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with the ‘Manyel’, but it really surprised me with its productivity. Time and time again I would enter the garden to find more bright yellow tomatoes ripening on the vine. The medium-sized tomatoes just kept coming and had a good flavor. They were refreshing in salads and sandwiches, which are our favorite ways to eat our fresh tomatoes in the summer. I would happily grow this variety again knowing it would yield plenty of pretty tomatoes for us.

#2 Green Zebra

Not everyone loves the ‘Green Zebra’, as it is a more tart variety of tomato, but it is one of my all-time favorites. This variety has been a top producer in my garden when I was living in zone 10b and even now being in zone 8b. The plants always produce a large number of small to medium-sized green and yellow variegated tomatoes. They are both a delight to look at and eat. These little zingers pack a tangy punch to a sandwich and are great for fried green tomatoes.

#1 Sungold Cherry

The ‘Sungold’ hybrid cherry tomato was my absolute favorite newcomer in the garden this year. I looked forward to harvesting the small, sweet, golden tomatoes every time I went out in the garden. A cherry tomato might not be the most versatile in terms of use, and not everyone likes them, but this was my top favorite this year. These tomatoes were succulently sweet and tart. If you’ve never loaded up a salad with ‘Sungold’ tomatoes, you are really missing out. Most of these little guys didn’t make it out of the garden, however. I ate most them straight off the vine because they were so addictingly delicious. This is the quintessential cherry tomato that all other cherry tomatoes aspire to be.