Tomato ‘Indigo Blue’ is one of the most striking tomatoes you’ll ever see, with its deep, glossy purple-blue skin that looks almost too pretty to eat. This beauty is part of the Indigo tomato breeding project, developed in the United States in the early 2000s, where plant breeders aimed to increase the levels of natural anthocyanins – the same antioxidants that make blueberries so healthy – in tomatoes. The result is a tomato that’s not just beautiful, but also packed with nutrition!

Nutritionally, ‘Indigo Blue’ is a winner. The purple pigment is loaded with anthocyanins, which help fight free radicals in the body, support immune health, and may even protect the heart. Like other tomatoes, it also delivers a healthy dose of vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, and dietary fibre, making it both delicious and nourishing.

One fascinating feature of ‘Indigo Blue’ is that the fruits ripen in a two-toned display: the parts of the fruit exposed to the sun develop a deep indigo to black colouring, while the shaded parts turn a rich red when ripe. This makes for a dramatic and beautiful contrast, almost as though the tomatoes have been painted.

The fruits are small to medium in size, with a sweet yet slightly tangy flavour that really shines when eaten fresh. They’re excellent in salads, as a colourful garnish, or roasted to intensify their sweetness. Their eye-catching colour also makes them a great conversation starter at the dinner table.

The plants are vigorous indeterminate growers, producing fruit all season long. They’re known for being hardy, resilient, and quite productive, so you’ll have plenty of colourful harvests throughout summer.

How to Grow From Seed:
At the earliest sow seeds in late winter to early spring, around 6–8 weeks before the last frost date in your area, or after Spring and into mid and late summer.

Sow seeds about 0.5 cm deep in a good quality seed-raising mix. Keep the soil warm (20–25°C) and moist until germination, which usually takes 7–14 days.

When seedlings have at least two sets of true leaves, pot them into larger containers to strengthen their roots. Once they’re about 10–15 cm tall and the weather has warmed, transplant them into the garden or large pots in a sunny position.

Space plants 50–60 cm apart, and provide support with stakes or a trellis. Keep up regular watering and feeding, and harvest fruits when they show their full mix of red and purple. The more you pick, the more the plant will produce!