Tigerella Tomato

Solanum lycopersicum

Also known as: Mr Stripey (often confused — several striped varieties trade under this name)


A striking British heirloom carrying medium-small round fruit boldly striped in red and yellow-orange — bright yellow on green when the fruit is unripe, deepening to orange stripes on a red ground at ripeness. Fruit runs 50–70g, borne prolifically in clusters on a vigorous indeterminate vine. Flavour is tangy and well-balanced, with a lively acidity that stands out beside the sweeter yellows — the kind of tomato that reads clearly in a salad or a sliced platter. Early cropping and cool-summer tolerant, holding a well-deserved place among the standard early heirlooms. Indeterminate (climbing) variety — requires sturdy staking or caging.

Days to harvest 55–70 days from transplant
Fruit size Medium-small round fruit, 50–70g
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, though this variety handles cool starts and short seasons better than most heat-loving heirlooms.

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: Pick when the background colour has deepened from green to red and the yellow-orange stripes stand out clearly against it — striped tomatoes can be tricky to judge at a glance, so a gentle squeeze to check for slight give confirms ripeness.

Timing: First ripe fruit around 55–70 days from transplant — earlier than most.

Key features

  • Distinctive red-and-orange striped fruit
  • Tangy, well-balanced flavour with lively acidity
  • Prolific in heavy clusters
  • Early cropping — first ripe fruit ahead of most heirlooms
  • Reliable in cool, unreliable summers
  • Highly ornamental as well as productive

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. Tigerella's early cropping and cool-summer tolerance make it a solid pick for short-season inland gardens where later-maturing heirlooms can run out of season.

  • 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


A British heirloom bred at the Glasshouse Crops Research Institute in southern England in the 1970s, selected for early cropping, reliable production in short cool summers, and the distinctive striped fruit that made it an instant favourite in British home gardens. Now over fifty years old and firmly established in the heirloom trade, kept in wide cultivation around the world for the qualities that earned it a place in the first cohort of post-war British open-pollinated tomatoes.