Green Zebra vs Aunt Ruby's German Green
Two green-when-ripe varieties at opposite ends of the size range.
| Green Zebra | Aunt Ruby's German Green | |
|---|---|---|
| Breeding | Open-pollinated | Heirloom |
| Growth habit | Indeterminate | Indeterminate |
| Days to maturity | 75-78 | 80-85 |
| Fruit color | green with stripes | green |
| Fruit size class | saladette | beefsteak |
| Typical weight | 2-4 oz | 12-16 oz |
| Primary uses | slicing | slicing |
| Introduced | 1983 | - |
| Documented resistances | 0 | 0 |
| Saves true from seed | Yes | Yes |
Measured against each other
These two have never been grown in the same trial AMSeed holds. Every difference in the table above is a difference between what each variety's own sources say about it, which is not the same as a difference between the varieties. Two catalogs counting days from different starting points, or reporting fruit weight from different seasons and soils, can differ by more than the seed does.
Where head-to-head measurements do exist: the trial record · what else we do not know
Disease resistance
Green Zebra
No documented resistance, typical of older open-pollinated varieties.
Aunt Ruby's German Green
No documented resistance, typical of older open-pollinated varieties.
Traits
Both: Open-Pollinated, Indeterminate, Green When Ripe, Slicing
Only Green Zebra
- Striped
- Saladette
- Mid Season
Only Aunt Ruby's German Green
- Heirloom
- Beefsteak
- Late Season
Origins
Green Zebra
Bred by Tom Wagner of Tater-Mater Seeds and released in 1983, not an antique, but a modern open-pollinated classic. Chartreuse fruit with darker green stripes and a sharp, bright tang; a chef favorite since Alice Waters put it on the Chez Panisse menu.
Aunt Ruby's German Green
A Tennessee family heirloom from Ruby Arnold of Greeneville, released through Seed Savers Exchange. The definitive green-when-ripe beefsteak: sweet, spicy, and ripe when the shoulders blush amber.
More: all comparisons · every tomato variety · filter the full database
Sources & References
Evidence: 4 sources, 2 seed catalogs and 2 community collections. No independent reference documents this yet.
- Victory Seeds variety histories · Victory Seed Company, Seed Catalog
- Tomato Growers Supply catalog · Tomato Growers Supply Company, Seed Catalog
- Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners · Cornell University Cooperative Extension, Community Collection
- Seed Savers Exchange catalog & variety histories · Seed Savers Exchange, Community Collection