- Heirloom
- Beefsteak
- 85 (estimated) days to maturity (from transplant)
- Indeterminate
- Green
Aunt Ruby's German Green
Heirloom beefsteak from USA. Large green-when-ripe beefsteak; an amber blush at the blossom end means it is ripe. Ready in about 85 days from transplant.
Single source · Updated Sep 13, 2026 · Values marked like this (estimated) are estimates.
At a glance
- Fruit type
- Beefsteak 12–20 oz (340–570 g) · Flattened globe (estimated)
- Leaf type
- Regular leaf
- Days to harvest
- 85 days (estimated) from transplant · Mid-late
- 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
- Challenging (estimated) 4/5
- Skin
-
- Green
- Interior
-
- Green
Plant size and habit
Tall · Indeterminate
6–8 ft (180–240 cm) (estimated) · Regular leaf
Aunt Ruby's German Green 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
“Large green-when-ripe beefsteak; an amber blush at the blossom end means it is ripe.”
Growing calendar
85 (estimated) days from transplant Mid-late
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
- Heirloom classic
- High flavor
- Novelty color
- Rare collector
Origin
Aunt Ruby's German Green is a large green-when-ripe beefsteak, a family heirloom with German and American roots. Ripeness shows as a faint amber blush at the blossom end, not as a colour change.
Sources
Where to buy seeds
Prices rechecked dailyLinks may earn us a commission at no cost to you. Prices checked Nov 1, 2026.
All photos
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Aunt Ruby's German Green tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover -
A truss of Aunt Ruby's German Green tomatoes -
Aunt Ruby's German Green tomato plant in a garden bed with ripe fruit on the vine -
A ripe Aunt Ruby's German Green tomato held in a gardener's hand -
Freshly picked Aunt Ruby's German Green tomatoes -
Aunt Ruby's German Green tomato sliced in the kitchen
Questions
How do you grow a Aunt Ruby's German Green plant?
A Aunt Ruby's German Green 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 Aunt Ruby's German Green take to mature?
Aunt Ruby's German Green is ready in about 85 days from transplant.
Does Aunt Ruby's German Green need staking?
Aunt Ruby's German Green 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 Aunt Ruby's German Green be grown in a container?
Aunt Ruby's German Green is better suited to open ground or a greenhouse bed than a container.
Is Aunt Ruby's German Green resistant to disease?
No disease resistance is documented for Aunt Ruby's German Green.
