The number of tomato varieties is not fixed, but thousands exist

There is no single answer to how many tomato species exist because botanists and gardeners count differently. From a strict botanical view, there is only one domesticated tomato species: Solanum lycopersicum. However, within that single species, breeders and seed companies have created thousands of distinct varieties — some estimates put the number between 7,500 and 10,000 named cultivars worldwide, though the exact count changes as new varieties are bred and old ones disappear from seed catalogs.

The confusion happens because gardeners use the word "variety" to mean something different than botanists do. When you buy a seed packet labeled "Brandywine" or "Cherry," you are buying a variety — a specific cultivar with its own traits. But botanically speaking, all of these are the same species. There are also wild tomato species related to the domesticated tomato, but these are rarely grown in home gardens and are not what most people mean when they ask about tomato types.

Key Takeaways

  • All common garden tomatoes belong to one species, Solanum lycopersicum, but thousands of named varieties exist within that species.
  • Tomato varieties are grouped by growth habit (determinate versus indeterminate), fruit size, and intended use (slicing, sauce, cherry, paste).
  • Heirloom varieties are open-pollinated tomatoes that have been grown for decades or longer and produce seeds that grow true to type.
  • Hybrid varieties are bred by crossing two parent plants and produce seeds that will not grow the same as the parent plant.
  • The variety you choose matters more than the species — your climate, garden space, and what you plan to cook with the tomatoes should guide your selection.

How tomato varieties are organized and named

Seed companies and gardeners organize tomatoes by several traits that affect how you grow them and what you do with the harvest. The most important distinction is growth habit: determinate tomatoes (also called bush tomatoes) grow to a fixed height, usually 3 to 4 feet, stop growing, and produce most of their fruit at once. Indeterminate tomatoes (also called vining tomatoes) grow continuously throughout the season, reaching 6 feet or taller, and produce fruit steadily until frost kills the plant.

Tomatoes are also sorted by fruit size and shape. Slicing tomatoes are large, often 4 to 8 ounces, and have few seeds — varieties like Brandywine and Beefsteak fall here. Cherry tomatoes are small, sweet, and prolific, usually under 1 ounce each. Paste tomatoes (also called plum tomatoes) are dense, meaty, and low in juice, bred for sauce and canning. Sauce tomatoes are somewhere between slicing and paste types. Within each category, you will find dozens or hundreds of varieties with different colors, flavors, and days to maturity.

The difference between heirloom and hybrid varieties

Heirloom varieties are open-pollinated tomatoes that have been grown and saved for seeds for at least 50 years, though many have been around for much longer. "Open-pollinated" means the plant pollinates itself or is pollinated by insects, and the seeds you save will grow into plants that are identical to the parent. Heirlooms are prized for flavor and diversity — they often taste richer and more complex than modern hybrids, but they may be less uniform in size and shape, and they are sometimes more prone to disease.

Hybrid varieties are created by deliberately crossing two different parent plants to combine desirable traits from each. The seed packet will say "F1" or "hybrid" if this is the case. Hybrids often grow faster, produce more fruit, resist disease better, and look more uniform than heirlooms. The trade-off is that seeds saved from a hybrid plant will not grow into the same plant — they will revert to one of the parent types or produce something unpredictable. This is why hybrid seeds must be purchased fresh each year.

Neither type is objectively better. Heirlooms reward you with flavor and the ability to save seeds year to year. Hybrids reward you with reliability, disease resistance, and often higher yields. Many home gardeners grow both.

Common tomato varieties for home gardens

If you are starting out, you do not need to know all 7,500 varieties. A few dozen appear in most seed catalogs and perform well in most climates. Determinate varieties that are reliable include Early Girl (60 days to maturity, medium fruit, good for short seasons), Roma (75 days, paste type, dense and meaty), and Bush Early Girl (compact, good for containers). Indeterminate varieties include Brandywine (78 days, large slicing tomato, excellent flavor but needs support), Sungold (70 days, cherry type, very sweet), and San Marzano (75 days, paste type, traditional for sauce).

Your choice should depend on three things: how long your growing season is (days to maturity), how much space you have (determinate needs less room), and what you will do with the tomatoes (sauce, slicing, snacking). If you live in a short-season climate, choose varieties that mature in 60 to 70 days. If you have a long season and want continuous harvests, pick indeterminate varieties. If you want to can or freeze, paste and sauce types are more practical than slicing tomatoes.

Wild tomato species and their role in breeding

Beyond the domesticated tomato, there are roughly 50 wild tomato species native to South America. These wild species are rarely grown in home gardens — they are small, often bitter, and not bred for eating. However, plant breeders use them to improve domesticated tomatoes. Wild species carry genes for disease resistance, drought tolerance, and cold hardiness that breeders cross into modern varieties to make them tougher and more reliable.

You may occasionally see seed packets labeled with wild species names like Solanum pimpinellifolium (currant tomato) or Solanum cheesmaniae (Galápagos tomato). These are curiosities for experienced gardeners and are not recommended for beginners — they are small, tart, and require specific growing conditions. The domesticated tomato remains the only practical choice for a home garden.

How new tomato varieties are created

New tomato varieties come from two sources: natural mutation and deliberate breeding. Sometimes a gardener notices that one plant in their patch looks different — a fruit is a new color, or the plant is more disease-resistant — and saves seeds from that plant. Over several generations, that mutation becomes stable and is registered as a new variety. This is how many heirloom varieties originated.

Modern breeding is more systematic. Plant breeders cross two parent plants that each have desirable traits, grow out the offspring, and select the plants that combine those traits best. This process takes years — usually 7 to 10 — before a new variety is stable enough to release. Breeders focus on traits that matter to farmers and home gardeners: yield, disease resistance, flavor, shelf life, and days to maturity. The result is that new varieties are released every year, which is why seed catalogs change from season to season.

Why the exact number of varieties is hard to pin down

Seed companies do not share a central registry, so nobody knows the exact total number of tomato varieties in existence. Some varieties are grown only in one region or country and never make it into international seed catalogs. Some old varieties disappear when seed companies stop offering them. Some are renamed or merged with similar varieties. The Seed Savers Exchange, a nonprofit that preserves heirloom seeds, maintains one of the largest tomato collections in North America with several thousand varieties, but even they do not claim to have every variety that exists.

What matters for your garden is not the global count but the varieties available to you. Most seed catalogs offer 50 to 150 tomato varieties, which is more than enough to find something suited to your climate, space, and taste. If you want to explore beyond what your local garden center stocks, online seed companies and specialty catalogs offer access to thousands of varieties, including rare heirlooms and regional favorites.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are all tomatoes the same species?

All common garden tomatoes are the same species, Solanum lycopersicum. Wild tomato species exist, but they are not grown in home gardens. The thousands of varieties you see in seed catalogs are all cultivars within that one species, not separate species.

What is the difference between a variety and a cultivar?

The terms are used interchangeably by gardeners. A cultivar (short for "cultivated variety") is a plant variety that was created or selected by humans and is maintained by cultivation. "Brandywine" and "Cherry" are both cultivars. Botanically, a variety is a smaller category, but gardeners usually just say "variety."

Can I save seeds from any tomato plant?

You can save seeds from heirloom and open-pollinated varieties, and they will grow into plants identical to the parent. Seeds from hybrid varieties will not grow true — the plant may look different or produce different fruit. Check the seed packet to see if the variety is hybrid or open-pollinated before you plan to save seeds.

Which tomato variety is the most popular?

Early Girl and Roma are among the most widely grown varieties worldwide because they are reliable, mature quickly, and perform well in many climates. Brandywine is the most popular heirloom variety among home gardeners who prioritize flavor. The "best" variety depends on your climate and what you want to grow.

Do I need to grow multiple varieties to get a good harvest?

No. A single tomato plant can produce dozens of fruits over a season, and most varieties pollinate themselves. Growing multiple varieties gives you different flavors and harvest times, but it is not necessary for production. Many gardeners grow just one or two varieties and get plenty of tomatoes.