Evergreen Tomato

Solanum lycopersicum

Also known as: Green Evergreen, Emerald Evergreen


An American heirloom green-when-ripe slicing tomato — medium-large round fruit around 150–250g that stays green through ripening, taking on a subtle yellow-amber blush at the blossom end when it's ready to pick. Cut open, the flesh is a rich emerald green, sweet with a light tang, and slices cleanly for a striking colour contrast on the plate. Vigorous indeterminate vines crop steadily through the warm months. One of the classic solid-green heirlooms and a favourite of gardeners who like their tomato patch to keep surprising visitors. Indeterminate (climbing) variety — requires sturdy staking or caging.

Days to harvest 70–80 days from transplant
Fruit size Medium-large round to slightly flattened fruit, 150–250g
Sowing depth 5mm
Germination 5–14 days at soil temperature 16–35°C; best around 21–24°C
Spacing 40–60cm apart, rows 60–150cm
Aspect Open, sunny position; light to heavy soil with good drainage
Frost tolerance Sensitive to frost; plant out only once frosts have finished

Growing notes

A warm, sheltered position in the garden or tunnel suits it best. Evergreen is a straightforward grower that rewards steady care through the season.

Soil preparation: Well-rotted compost worked in before planting, with a balanced feed high in phosphorus.

Support: Vines reach 2m or more and grow heavy with fruit — stake, cage, or train up a string trellis from planting out.

Containers: Suits a large pot of 40L or more with sturdy support; keep water and feed consistent, as pots dry out faster than beds.

Watering & feeding: Deep, consistent watering at the base. Overhead watering invites disease. Side-dress with a potassium-rich feed once flowering starts.

Harvest: Green-when-ripe tomatoes take practice to judge — the tell is a subtle yellow-amber blush on the blossom end and a slight give to gentle pressure. The skin also loses its early glossy sheen for a softer matt finish at full ripeness. If in doubt, cut one open and check the flesh: bright emerald means ripe, pale and firm means wait another day or two.

Timing: First ripe fruit around 70–80 days from transplant.

Key features

  • Stays green when ripe — emerald flesh, green skin with a warm blush
  • Medium-large slicing fruit, 150–250g
  • Sweet, mildly tangy flavour
  • Vigorous, heavy-cropping vine
  • Striking on a plate — a real conversation tomato
  • One of the classic solid-green heirlooms

Short season tips

Sow 6–8 weeks before your last frost. Grow on under cover until night temperatures sit reliably above 12–14°C. In Coonabarabran and similar inland zones, plant out from mid-October. A hoop tunnel or cloche buys earlier plantings.

  • Spring
  • Summer

Tender perennial — almost always grown as an annual in Australia

  • Basil, chives, parsley, marigold, carrots
  • Other nightshades (potatoes, eggplant, capsicum), brassicas, fennel, corn


An American heirloom slicing tomato traced back through the twentieth-century home-garden trade, most often attributed to introduction by Glecklers Seedsmen in Ohio in the 1950s. One of the earliest of the green-when-ripe cultivars to reach wider circulation, and the ancestor or reference point for many of the striped and solid-green heirlooms that have followed. Kept in continuous cultivation for the pleasure of a tomato that looks nothing like a tomato when you slice it, and eats better than most.