Green Zebra Tomato
Solanum lycopersicum 'Green Zebra'
vegetableGreen Zebra is an eye-catching 1983 introduction by breeder Tom Wagner, with lime-green skin striped in yellow that ripens to a golden-green rather than red. The 2 to 4 ounce fruits have a bright, tangy-sweet, almost citrusy flavor that makes them a standout sliced onto a plate or mixed into a colorful salad. The indeterminate vines are productive and reliable, and the firm flesh holds together well in the kitchen. Its main quirk is teaching the gardener to judge ripeness on a tomato that never turns red.
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Sun
full sun
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Water
Every 3 days
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Harvest
~75 days
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Difficulty
medium
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Lifecycle
annual
One season, then done
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Spacing
24-36 in. apart
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Planting Depth
1/4 in. (seed) or deep-planted transplant
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Soil pH
6.0-6.8
Growing Details
Soil Type
Rich, well-draining
Hardiness Zones
Zones 3 – 10
Grown as an annual. This range is its winter hardiness, but you can grow it for a single season in any zone.
When to Fertilize
At transplant, then every 3-4 weeks after fruit sets
Fertilizer
Low-nitrogen 5-10-10 once fruiting
🌱 Growing Guide
Grow it as a standard indeterminate tomato. Sow indoors 5 to 6 weeks before the last frost a quarter inch deep at 75 to 85F, harden off, and transplant after nights stay above 50F, burying two-thirds of the stem. Give full sun, space 2 to 3 feet apart, and cage or stake early since vines reach 4 to 5 feet. Water deeply to about an inch per week and mulch to keep moisture even and ward off blossom-end rot and cracking. Keep nitrogen modest and pinch lower suckers for airflow. The only real learning curve is ripeness, since the color change at maturity is subtle.
Planting Calendar
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Start seeds indoors
Mar 4
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Transplant outdoors
Apr 29
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Projected first harvest
Jul 13
JJan
FFeb
MMar
AApr
MMay
JJun
JJul
AAug
SSep
OOct
NNov
DDec
✅ Plant alongside
Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests
- Basil: Deters whiteflies
- French Marigold: Suppresses nematodes
- Nasturtium: Trap crop for aphids
- Borage: Attracts pollinators and hornworm predators
❌ Keep away from
BrassicasFennel
🛡️ Pest & disease prevention
Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts. Tap a name with an arrow for its full guide
Interplant dill and borage; inspect weekly; parasitic wasps keep populations in check
Attract lacewings with flowering herbs; hose off small colonies early
Maintain consistent soil moisture and mulch
🌾 Harvest & storage
Ripe fruit is ready about 75 to 80 days from transplant. It is ripe when the background green warms slightly and the yellow stripes brighten, and most tellingly when the blossom end yields to gentle pressure; the persistent green color fools beginners into picking too late. When in doubt, taste-test a fruit and let that calibrate your eye for the rest. Harvest every few days, store at room temperature, and do not refrigerate. The firm flesh keeps a little longer than most heirlooms once picked.
🥗 Nutrition & benefits
Green Zebra provides vitamin C, potassium, and vitamin K and stays very low in calories. Its lycopene is lower than a red tomato since the fruit never develops full red pigment, but that is partly offset by chlorophyll and other green-fruit compounds, and the bright acidity makes it refreshing eaten fresh in a salad or a plate of mixed-color tomatoes.
⚠️ Toxicity & safety
Eat the ripe fruit only. Tomato leaves and stems (and large amounts of very unripe green fruit) contain solanine-type compounds and are not for eating.
For educational and informational purposes only. HomeSown is not medical, health, or other professional advice. Always positively identify any plant before handling or eating it; some plants, and some parts of otherwise-edible plants, are toxic. Consult a qualified professional before consuming or otherwise using any plant, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a health condition.