Green Zebra
Solanum lycopersicum
A delicious, tangy salad tomato, ripe just as the green fruit develops a yellow blush, accentuating the darker green stripes. The 3-4 oz. fruits are the ideal size for slicing into wedges for salads. Productive over a long season. Developed by Tom Wagner. Indeterminate. USDA Certified Organic.
Harvest
72d
Days to harvest
Sun
Blossom-End Rot of Tomato
Zones
10–11
USDA hardiness
Height
1-10 feet
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Green Zebra in USDA Zone 7
All Zone 7 tomato →Zone Map
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Green Zebra · 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 | — | August – October |
| 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
Fresh Green Zebra tomatoes store best at room temperature for 5-7 days, developing fuller flavor as they continue ripening off the vine. Avoid refrigeration unless fully ripe, as cold temperatures below 55°F damage flavor compounds and create mealy texture.
For preservation, Green Zebra excels in fermented applications like green tomato relish or pickled preparations due to its naturally high acidity. The firm flesh holds up well when canned as salsa verde or chutney — process using tested recipes for safe acidity levels. For freezing, slice and freeze on trays before transferring to containers; the unique color makes beautiful additions to winter soups and stews. Green Zebra can also be dehydrated into flavorful chips, though expect longer drying times than red varieties due to higher moisture content.
History & Origin
Green Zebra was developed in the 1980s by renowned tomato breeder Tom Wagner of Tater Mater Seeds in Washington State. Wagner, famous for creating numerous innovative tomato varieties, bred Green Zebra by crossing four different heirloom varieties to achieve the distinctive striped pattern and complex flavor profile.
The variety gained popularity through Seed Savers Exchange and specialty catalogs in the 1990s, becoming one of the first 'gourmet' green-when-ripe tomatoes widely available to home gardeners. Wagner specifically aimed to create a tomato that combined visual appeal with superior taste, challenging the assumption that green tomatoes were merely unripe.
Green Zebra helped spark the heirloom tomato renaissance and remains one of Wagner's most successful creations. Its unique appearance made it a favorite among chefs and farmers market vendors, contributing to the broader acceptance of unusual tomato varieties. Today, it's considered a modern heirloom and has inspired numerous other striped tomato varieties.
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
Marigolds
Deter nematodes and whiteflies with natural compounds
Carrots
Help break up soil for tomato roots, don't compete for nutrients
Parsley
Attracts beneficial insects like hoverflies that eat aphids
Chives
Repel aphids and may improve tomato growth and flavor
Nasturtiums
Act as trap crop for aphids and cucumber beetles
Oregano
Repels pests and may enhance tomato flavor through companion effect
Lettuce
Benefits from tomato shade and doesn't compete for deep nutrients
Keep Apart
Black Walnut
Releases juglone toxin that causes tomato wilt and stunted growth
Fennel
Inhibits growth of most garden plants through allelopathy
Corn
Both attract corn earworm, creating concentrated pest problems
Brassicas
Compete for similar nutrients and may stunt tomato growth
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #321360)
Pests & Disease Resistance
Resistance
Moderate disease resistance, better than most heirlooms. Some resistance to cracking.
Common Pests
Tomato hornworm, aphids, whiteflies, spider mites
Diseases
Early blight, late blight, fusarium wilt, bacterial speck