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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Yellow and orange tomatoes come in cherry, pear, grape, slicing, and beefsteak forms—and they vary just as much in plant size and season length. Here are nine cultivars to compare by fruit type, growth habit, and the regional context behind published maturity estimates. They are useful options, not a universal ranking of taste or yield.
How to choose a yellow or orange tomato
Start with the fruit you want to harvest, then check the plant’s growth habit and the length of your local growing season. Small-fruited cherry, grape, and pear types suit different snacking and serving uses; medium and large tomatoes are more suited to slicing. The color alone does not tell you a cultivar’s size, habit, disease resistance, or flavor, so look for the exact cultivar name on a seed packet or plant label.
Growth habit affects support and harvest timing
Indeterminate tomatoes keep growing, flowering, and setting fruit until frost. They can become tall or sprawling and generally benefit from a stake, cage, or trellis. Iowa State University Extension describes their harvest as often lasting two to three months. Determinate tomatoes reach a more limited height and set most fruit over a shorter period; Iowa State describes their harvest as generally four to six weeks. These are general patterns, not guarantees for every plant or climate.
Use maturity estimates in their local context
Iowa State University Extension defines early tomatoes as reaching maturity in 65 or fewer days from transplanting, midseason as 70–79 days, and late as more than 80 days. Those are Iowa State’s category definitions, not universal dates for every cultivar. Temperature, growing conditions, and how a seed supplier counts days can affect what a number means in your garden.
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#1 Best Overall
- Beautiful - Variety Pack: Five large individual packets of orange and yellow tomato varieties: Yellow Brandywine (Solanum var. ‘Yellow Brandywine’), Jubilee (Solanum var. ‘Jubilee’), Orange Cherry (Solanum var. ‘Orange Cherry’), Kellogg’s Breakfast (Solanum var. ‘Kellogg’s Breakfast’), and Yellow Pear (Solanum var. ‘Yellow Pear’). Enjoy these classic, productive tomatoes in your garden this season.
- Great Variety - These heirloom tomatoes come in a range of shapes including cherry, beefsteak, and teardrop. Orange and yellow tomatoes are sweet and fruity. Perfect for a variety of recipes or eat right off the vine!
- Good Eats - Home-grown heirloom tomatoes have so much more flavor than supermarket hybrid varieties. They are divine simply sliced and sprinkled with a little salt and pepper, but don’t stop there! Mix with fresh mozzarella and basil for a summertime salad or bruschetta, make fresh pico, a tomato tart, smoky and spicy tomato jam, or preserve them (dried or canned) for a shot of garden flavor in deep winter.
- Easy to Grow - Instructions included on each packet. Plus, we are available to answer all your questions. If these seeds don’t germinate, we will happily make it right for you.
- Safe and Sustainable - Our operation is fully solar powered, and Sow Right Seeds has taken the Safe Seed Pledge to sell only fresh Non-GMO heirloom seeds for you and your family.
Nine yellow and orange tomato varieties
The descriptions below bring together Iowa State’s Iowa-focused cultivar guidance, Missouri Extension’s Lemon Boy description, and the UC Master Gardeners of Yolo County’s local 2026 list. A recommendation or timing description from one region should not be treated as a promise for another.
| Cultivar | Fruit and plant | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Sun Gold | Yellow-orange cherry tomato; indeterminate. | Iowa State lists it as a small-fruited option. Check the exact name on the seed or plant label. |
| Lemon Boy | Yellow, medium-sized fruit; indeterminate. | Missouri Extension’s 2022 publication describes firm, lighter-yellow fruit averaging 6–7 ounces and maturity in about 72 days in its context. Treat those figures as Missouri’s cultivar description, not a guaranteed result elsewhere. |
| Yellow Pear | Small, yellow, pear-shaped fruit; indeterminate. | A distinctive shape sets it apart from round cherry tomatoes and slicing types. |
| Chef’s Choice Orange | Large, round, orange fruit; indeterminate. | An orange slicing option. Plan for support suited to an indeterminate plant. |
| Carolina Gold | Large, oblate, golden-orange fruit; determinate. | Its determinate habit offers a contrast to the indeterminate choices here; that alone does not establish container suitability. |
| Golden Sweet | Yellow, oval, grape-type fruit; indeterminate. | A small-fruited alternative to round cherry tomatoes. |
| Kellogg’s Breakfast | Large orange beefsteak; indeterminate. | The UC Master Gardeners of Yolo County’s 2026 list describes 16–24-ounce fruit and labels it late in that local list. Fruit size and lateness are regional-list descriptions, not universal guarantees. |
| Amana Orange | Large-fruited orange heirloom; indeterminate. | Iowa State lists it as late. Maturity depends on region and growing conditions. |
| Hawaiian Pineapple | Golden-yellow-to-orange beefsteak with scarlet blush. | The UC Master Gardeners of Yolo County’s 2026 list describes 16–24-ounce fruit and about 93 days after transplanting, and notes fruitiness. These are local list details, not assured size, flavor, or timing in every garden. |
Match the fruit to how you plan to eat it
- For small bites: Sun Gold offers cherry-sized fruit, Golden Sweet is a grape type, and Yellow Pear has a recognizable pear shape.
- For medium-sized slicing: Lemon Boy is the medium-fruited choice among these nine.
- For large slices: Chef’s Choice Orange, Carolina Gold, Kellogg’s Breakfast, and Amana Orange are large-fruited choices; Hawaiian Pineapple is listed as a beefsteak.
These are fruit-form distinctions, not a taste or yield ranking. The sources do not establish one variety as the best choice for every gardener.
Rank #2
- GIANT Amana Orange 2 LB Tomato Seeds, Heirloom NON-GMO, Indeterminate, Open-Pollinated, Productive, Meaty and Sweet, Old-Fashioned Taste, 85-90 days. Height At Maturity: 48-96".
- Keep moist, not letting the seeds dry out between watering. **SOIL Temperature for Germination: 70-75F. Planting Depth: 1/4". Sprout tomato seeds in small containers, preferably 4" or smaller. In-ground germination is not recommended. Use a standard potting mix that is well drained.
- Start seeds in containers approximately 8 weeks prior to the planned set-out date. Plants should ultimately be transplanted to the garden 1-2 weeks after the expected date of last frost. Soil should be kept consistently warm, from 70-85F. Cool soils, below about 60-65F, even just at night, will significantly delay or inhibit germination. Additionally, overly warm soils, well above 90F, can inhibit germination and provide ideal conditions for seed rot.
- Over watering can cause fungal growth which leads to seed rot. Excess water can also bury seeds deep in the soil where they will not be able break the surface. Water when the soil surface just begins to dry.
- Multiple seeds can be planted in a single starter container, but should be thinned once seedlings appear so only a single plant remains. Seeds do not require light for germination but some light source should be provided for seedlings once they emerge from the soil.
Choose seeds or transplants for your season
Starting from seed gives you access to more cultivar choices, while buying a transplant saves time. University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension says gardeners can start seeds indoors or in a small greenhouse four to eight weeks before outdoor transplanting and recommends transplanting for a longer harvest. Follow local planting guidance rather than applying that lead time without regard to your area.
Wisconsin Extension also recommends growing several cultivars with different types and maturities to help sustain harvest and protect against disease. When comparing packets or plants, check whether the supplier identifies disease resistance, and consider productivity and the potential for fruit splitting. Do not assume a named variety has a resistance unless the seed source or a local Extension source explicitly says so.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Beautiful - Variety Pack: Six large individual packets of Black Cherry, Large Red Cherry, White Cherry, Yellow Pear, Orange Cherry, and Bi-Color Cherry tomato seeds. A rainbow of delicious small tomatoes that will delight your taste buds. Minimum of 100 mg per packet (about 45 seeds).
- Great Variety - Home-grown heirloom tomatoes have so much more flavor than supermarket hybrid varieties. Pick, enjoy, share, and preserve - there are so many ways to enjoy fresh cherry tomatoes!
- Good Eats - The miniature tomatoes on cherry plants are so much fun in the garden. Pick right off the vine and enjoy a burst of garden flavor. A classic red variety delivers a traditional tangy flavor to salads or bruschetta. Yellow and orange colors are more sweet and great for snacking. The favorite black cherry flavor is a rich treat.
- Easy to Grow - Instructions included on each packet. Plus, we are available to answer all your questions. If these seeds don’t germinate, we will happily make it right for you.
- Safe and Sustainable - Our operation is fully solar powered, and Sow Right Seeds has taken the Safe Seed Pledge to sell only fresh Non-GMO heirloom seeds for you and your family.
Rank #4
- Seeds are fresh, 10-25 days to germination.
- The bush is compact, determinate, with a height of 10'' -15'' (30-40 cm). The fruits are small, round, smooth, intense red or yellow-orange color, weighing 1-1.5 oz (30-40g), a diameter of 2'' (3-5 cm), sweet and fragrant.
- Grow in the open ground and indoor. Used for fresh consumption.
- 100% NON-GMO genuine seeds.
- Expected blooming period: Spring to Fall
Rank #3
- Beautiful - Large full-color packet of Hillbilly Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) seeds. Heirloom variety yellow-orange fruit with some red striping that can grow up to 2 pounds in size. Wonderful meaty slicing tomato with sweet flavor and low acidity. Indeterminate vines need support and will produce until the first frost. Minimum of 100 mg per packet (about 45 seeds).
- Productive - Tomatoes germinate in 5-10 days when soil temps are 70-80°F. Plant 1/4” deep and space 36” apart in an area with full sun. This variety will grow up to 5-8’ tall with a spread of 3-4’. Fruits will mature in 85-90 days, plant in USDA zones 3-12.
- Good Eats - You can eat these slicer tomatoes plain with some salt and pepper, or add it to your morning toast. Use in recipes such as bruschetta, pico, tomato tarts, jam, or try your hand at storing your garden tomatoes for a long-lasting harvest. Beefsteak tomatoes are versatile, juicy, and savory.
- Easy to Grow - Instructions included on each packet. Plus, we are available to answer all your questions. If these seeds don’t germinate, we will happily make it right for you.
- Safe and Sustainable - Our operation is fully solar powered, and Sow Right Seeds has taken the Safe Seed Pledge to sell only fresh Non-GMO heirloom seeds for you and your family.
What to check before buying
- Confirm the exact cultivar name; a yellow or orange color label alone does not identify the plant’s habit or fruit form.
- Check whether the plant is determinate or indeterminate so you can plan its space and support.
- Compare the stated maturity estimate with your local season and note how the supplier counts days.
- Look for locally relevant guidance on disease resistance and splitting rather than inferring either from fruit color.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
