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Tomatoes for the Desert: Best Varieties for Arizona

When it comes to growing tomatoes in Arizona, choosing the right variety is key. With our blazing summers and short growing season, it’s crucial to pick tomatoes that mature quickly—typically in 60 to 90 days. Smaller to medium-sized fruits tend to handle the heat best.

Here are some of my top picks for tomato varieties in Arizona, along with why they’re great and where you can find seeds:

Tomatoes for the Desert: Best Varieties for Arizona

10 Best Tomatoes for Arizona Gardens


Punta Banda: This tough little tomato from Mexico handles the heat like a champ, producing small, flavorful red fruits. Thicker skins mean they don’t split as easily. A meaty tomato that preserves well.

Find Punta Banda Seeds Here


Cherokee Purple: With its deep, complex flavor and unique purple-red color, it is a must-try. It produces medium to large fruits that are great for slicing.

Find Cherokee Purple Seeds Here


San Marzano: Known for its meaty, oblong fruits with a rich, slightly sweet flavor. They are perfect for sauces and canning. Maturing in about 80 days, they perform well in Arizona’s heat, providing a reliable harvest of flavorful tomatoes.

Find San Marzano Seeds Here


Black Krim: With its deep, smoky flavor, Black Krim is a standout. These medium-to-large tomatoes have a unique dark red color with green shoulders.

Find Black Krim Seeds Here


Celebrity: A reliable hybrid resistant to disease, Celebrity tomatoes are medium-sized fruits with that classic tomato taste we all love.

Find Celebrity Seeds Here


Best Cherry Tomatoes for Arizona:

Best Tomatoes for Arizona

Chocolate Cherry: These small, deep red-brown fruits have a rich, sweet flavor. Perfect for snacking or salads, they mature in about 70 days and thrive in Arizona’s heat, offering a steady harvest throughout the season.

Find Chocolate Cherry seeds here


Sungold: These tiny orange cherry tomatoes are a favorite for their unbeatable sweetness. They’re perfect for popping right off the vine.


Find Sungold Seeds Here


Juliet: Juliet tomatoes produce clusters of sweet, juicy, elongated fruits with a rich flavor, perfect for snacking, salads, or roasting. Maturing in about 60 days, they’re ideal for Arizona’s short growing season and are a prolific producer.

Find Juliet Seeds Here


Sweet 100: Known for producing tons of small, sweet tomatoes, Sweet 100 is an excellent choice for Arizona’s hot climate.


Find Sweet 100 Seeds Here


Yellow Pear: These prolific, pear-shaped yellow tomatoes have a mild, sweet flavor.


Find Yellow Pear Seeds Here


Share Your Favorites!

Have you had success growing tomatoes in Arizona? I’d love to hear about the varieties that worked best for you. Share your tips and experiences in the comments below.

Best Tomatoes for Arizona

More Tomato Growing Resources on My Blog:


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8 comments on "Tomatoes for the Desert: Best Varieties for Arizona"

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  1. Wickenburg-Prescott, Estiva, and Giant Crimson all performed well for me this year in Zone 8b in the Chihuahuan Desert. W-P, developed in AZ, is very prolific!

  2. Kellogs breakfast, black trim, Arkansas traveler and black cherry all do well and taste great in Phoenix. one can grow early girl, better boy and super sweet 100 and have a ton of nice maters. I grew 1000 sweet 100 cherry tomatoes on one plant a few years back, so you can really succeed in Phoenix once you know the ropes

  3. Replying from Tucson. I’ve taken the approach of using short season varieties rather than nursing along later maturing ones in the heat. I plant them as early as my conscience allows and hopefully get production before things do get hot. I’m always experimenting, but my go-to varieties are Scotia, Summer Frolic, Fourth of July and, of course, Early Girl if there is room among the plants on trial.

  4. I live in SE Arizona and about 5 years ago I planted Yellow Pear Tomatoes. I have not had to plant them again as volunteers come up all over the place. This year I had one come up next to the house on the north side that never got any water all summer and it is producing more fruit than the ones that are growing in my flower bed and got watered.