Celebrity
Solanum lycopersicum
A larger sister variety of Santa, Juliet is one of the most disease-resistant in our trials. Deep red shiny fruits avg. 2-2 1/4" x 1 3/8-1 1/2", weighing 1 1/2-2 oz. Typically 12-18 fruits per cluster. Delicious, rich tomato flavor for salads, great salsa, and fresh pasta sauce. Good crack resistance, vine storage, and shelf life. AAS Winner. Indeterminate.
Harvest
60d
Days to harvest
Sun
Blossom-End Rot of Tomato
Zones
10–11
USDA hardiness
Height
1-10 feet
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Celebrity in USDA Zone 7
All Zone 7 tomato →Zone Map
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Celebrity · Zones 10–11
Growing Details
Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar
| Zone | Indoor Start | Transplant | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | April – April | June – July | — | August – October |
| Zone 4 | March – April | June – June | — | August – October |
| Zone 5 | March – March | May – June | — | July – September |
| Zone 6 | March – March | May – June | — | July – September |
| Zone 7 | February – March | April – May | — | July – September |
| Zone 8 | February – February | April – May | — | June – August |
| Zone 9 | January – January | March – April | — | May – July |
| Zone 10 | January – January | February – March | — | May – July |
Complete Growing Guide
Light: Blossom-End Rot of Tomato, Pepper, and Watermelon. Soil: Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt), Sand. Soil pH: Acid (<6.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0). Drainage: Good Drainage, Moist. Water: Blossom-End Rot of Tomato, Pepper, and Watermelon. Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.. Spread: 1 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.. Spacing: 3 feet-6 feet. Growth rate: Rapid. Maintenance: High. Propagation: Seed. Regions: Coastal, Mountains, Piedmont.
Harvesting
The fruits are smooth, shiny, glossy, and are classified as berries. The size, shape, and color will vary depending on the variety or cultivar. The color of the fruits may be red, yellow, orange, green, purple, or pink. The fruits may contain over 100 yellow to light brown seeds.
Color: Gold/Yellow, Green, Orange, Pink, Purple/Lavender, Red/Burgundy, Variegated. Type: Berry. Length: > 3 inches. Width: > 3 inches.
Garden value: Edible, Showy
Harvest time: Fall, Summer
Bloom time: Fall, Summer
Edibility: The fruits or berries of the tomato are edible. They may be eaten raw, cooked, dried, or processed. They are a rich source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, folic acid, and antioxidants. Lycopene is an antioxidant that gives the tomato its rich red color. Many plants will drop fruit when ripe or the fruit will come off easily. Tomatoes will continue to ripen once picked. Store them at room temperature.
Storage & Preservation
Store ripe Celebrity tomatoes at room temperature for 3-5 days for peak flavor, as refrigeration dulls their well-balanced taste. If you must refrigerate, bring them back to room temperature before eating. Slightly underripe fruits will continue ripening on the counter for up to a week.
For preservation, Celebrity's meaty texture and balanced acidity make them excellent for canning whole, crushed, or as sauce. Their medium size is perfect for quartering and freezing in portions – simply core, quarter, and freeze on trays before transferring to bags. The skins slip off easily after thawing. Celebrity also dehydrates well due to lower water content than beefsteak varieties. Slice ¼ inch thick and dehydrate at 135°F for 8-12 hours until leathery. Green tomatoes can be pickled or used for relishes when the season ends.
History & Origin
Celebrity was developed by the Rogers Seed Company in the 1980s as part of their quest to create the perfect home garden tomato that combined disease resistance, reliability, and flavor. The breeding program specifically targeted common frustrations of home gardeners: plants that succumbed to soil-borne diseases, produced inconsistently, or required expert care to succeed.
This hybrid represents a breakthrough in determinate tomato breeding, combining the compact growth habit desired for small gardens with the disease resistance package (VFNT) that was typically found only in commercial varieties. The Rogers breeders selected for consistent fruit size, crack resistance, and the ability to set fruit in less-than-ideal conditions – traits that made Celebrity particularly valuable for northern gardeners and beginners.
Celebrity quickly gained recognition in university trials and won the All-America Selections award, cementing its reputation among extension agents and master gardeners. The variety's name reflects its intended purpose: to be the 'celebrity' of home gardens – reliable, productive, and universally appealing. Today, it remains one of the most recommended tomatoes for beginning gardeners and challenging growing conditions.
Advantages
- +Attracts: Bees, Pollinators, Predatory Insects
- +Wildlife value: The plant is pollinated by bees, especially bumblebees.
- +Edible: The fruits or berries of the tomato are edible. They may be eaten raw, cooked, dried, or processed. They are a rich source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, folic acid, and antioxidants. Lycopene is an antioxidant that gives the tomato its rich red color. Many plants will drop fruit when ripe or the fruit will come off easily. Tomatoes will continue to ripen once picked. Store them at room temperature.
- +Fast-growing
Considerations
- -Toxic (Leaves, Stems): Medium severity
- -High maintenance
Companion Plants
Plant Together
Basil
Repels aphids and whiteflies, may improve flavor
Marigold
Deters nematodes and many pest insects with natural compounds
Carrots
Helps loosen soil around tomato roots and doesn't compete for nutrients
Parsley
Attracts beneficial insects like hoverflies that prey on tomato pests
Nasturtium
Acts as trap crop for aphids and cucumber beetles
Chives
Repels aphids and may help prevent fungal diseases
Lettuce
Benefits from tomato shade and doesn't compete for deep nutrients
Borage
Attracts pollinators and beneficial insects, may repel hornworms
Keep Apart
Black Walnut
Produces juglone which is toxic to tomatoes and causes wilting
Fennel
Inhibits growth of most garden plants through allelopathy
Brassicas
Compete for similar nutrients and may stunt tomato growth
Corn
Both attract corn earworms and hornworms, creating pest concentration
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #321360)
Pests & Disease Resistance
Resistance
Early Blight (Intermediate); Late Blight (Intermediate)
Common Pests
Hornworms, cutworms, flea beetles
Diseases
Late blight, bacterial spot, blossom end rot