- Heirloom
- Oxheart
- 70 (estimated) days to maturity (from transplant)
- Indeterminate
- Pink
Anna Russian
Heirloom oxheart from Russia, 1989. An early pink oxheart, unusual in a class that normally needs a long season. Ready in about 70 days from transplant.
Single source · Updated Sep 9, 2026 · Values marked like this (estimated) are estimates.
At a glance
- Fruit type
- Oxheart 10–16 oz (280–450 g) · Heart-shaped (estimated)
- Leaf type
- Wispy leaf
- Days to harvest
- 70 days (estimated) from transplant · Midseason
- Plant height
- 6–8 ft (180–240 cm) (estimated) Tall
- Spacing
- 24 × 35 in (60 × 90 cm) (estimated)
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Position
- Handles open positions
- Growing sites
- Greenhouse · Polytunnel · Open ground
- Container growing
- Not suited to pots
- Difficulty
- Moderate (estimated) 3/5
- Skin
-
- Pink
- Interior
-
- Pink
Plant size and habit
Tall · Indeterminate
6–8 ft (180–240 cm) (estimated) · Wispy leaf
Anna Russian is an indeterminate plant that keeps growing and setting fruit until frost; it needs a stake, cage, or trellis for the whole season. Expect a plant of 6–8 ft (180–240 cm).
Flavor
“An early pink oxheart, unusual in a class that normally needs a long season.”
Growing calendar
70 (estimated) days from transplant Midseason
Timing shown for temperate climates; sow indoors 6–8 (estimated) weeks before your last frost date. Look up your last frost date by ZIP code →
Disease resistance
No documented disease resistances — protect this variety with good airflow and crop rotation.
Uses & tags
- Fresh & salads
- Slicing
- Sauce & paste
- Heirloom classic
- High flavor
- Short season
- Rare collector
Origin
Anna Russian is an early pink oxheart, unusual in a class that normally needs a long season. The foliage is sparse and wispy and the plant looks unwell to anyone who has not grown an oxheart before, which is normal for the type. The seed reached Craig LeHoullier in 1989 from Brenda Getty Hillenius of Corvallis, Oregon, whose grandfather had it from a Russian immigrant; LeHoullier listed it in the Seed Savers Exchange Yearbook that year and it went commercial in 1996.
Sources
Where to buy seeds
Prices rechecked dailyAll photos
Questions
How do you grow a Anna Russian plant?
A Anna Russian plant grows 6–8 ft (180–240 cm) tall (estimated). Space plants 24 in (60 cm) apart in rows 35 in (90 cm) apart (estimated). Start seed indoors 6–8 weeks before your last frost (estimated); it germinates in 7–14 days (estimated). It needs full sun.
How long does Anna Russian take to mature?
Anna Russian is ready in about 70 days from transplant.
Does Anna Russian need staking?
Anna Russian is an indeterminate plant that keeps growing and setting fruit until frost; it needs a stake, cage, or trellis for the whole season. Expect a plant of 6–8 ft (180–240 cm).
Can Anna Russian be grown in a container?
Anna Russian is better suited to open ground or a greenhouse bed than a container.
Is Anna Russian resistant to disease?
No disease resistance is documented for Anna Russian.
