- Open-pollinated
- Plum
- 76 (estimated) days to maturity (from transplant)
- Determinate
- Red
Roma
Open-pollinated plum from USA. The default American paste tomato: blocky, meaty and bred for one big harvest. Ready in about 76 days from transplant.
Single source · Updated Aug 30, 2026 · Values marked like this (estimated) are estimates.
At a glance
- Fruit type
- Plum 2–3 oz (60–90 g) · Elongated (estimated)
- Leaf type
- Regular leaf
- Days to harvest
- 76 days (estimated) from transplant · Mid-late
- Plant height
- 3–4 ft (90–120 cm) (estimated) Medium height
- Spacing
- 18 × 35 in (45 × 90 cm) (estimated)
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Position
- Handles open positions
- Growing sites
- Greenhouse · Polytunnel · Open ground · Container
- Container growing
- Balcony friendly min. 6 gal (25 L) pot (estimated)
- Difficulty
- Moderate (estimated) 3/5
- Skin
-
- Red
- Interior
-
- Red
Plant size and habit
Medium height · Determinate
3–4 ft (90–120 cm) (estimated) · Regular leaf
Roma is a determinate plant that stops growing at a set height and ripens most of its crop in one concentrated window; a cage is usually enough support. Expect a plant of 3–4 ft (90–120 cm).
Flavor
“The default American paste tomato: blocky, meaty and bred for one big harvest.”
Growing calendar
76 (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
- V Verticillium wilt
- F1 Fusarium wilt (race 1)
Uses & tags
- Sauce & paste
- Canning
- Drying
- Roasting
- Sauce workhorse
- Beginner friendly
- High yield
- Market favorite
Origin
Roma was released by the United States Department of Agriculture in the 1950s, developed at Beltsville, Maryland, as a processing tomato bred for uniform, blocky fruit, fusarium resistance and a concentrated harvest. It became the reference paste tomato in North American home gardens, and the name is now used loosely in shops for almost any plum-shaped tomato, which is why the search demand behind it is far larger than the cultivar itself.
Sources
Where to buy seeds
Prices rechecked daily- Botanical InterestsSeeds
Packet size not listed
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$2.69Checked Nov 1, 2026 - Eden BrothersSeeds
Packet
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$3.49Checked Nov 1, 2026 - True Leaf MarketSeeds
250 mg Packet
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$3.59Checked Nov 1, 2026 - BurpeeSeeds
250 Organic Seeds
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$4.95Checked Nov 1, 2026
Links may earn us a commission at no cost to you. Prices checked Nov 1, 2026.
All photos
Questions
How do you grow a Roma plant?
A Roma plant grows 3–4 ft (90–120 cm) tall (estimated). Space plants 18 in (45 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 Roma take to mature?
Roma is ready in about 76 days from transplant.
Does Roma need staking?
Roma is a determinate plant that stops growing at a set height and ripens most of its crop in one concentrated window; a cage is usually enough support. Expect a plant of 3–4 ft (90–120 cm).
Can Roma be grown in a container?
Yes — Roma grows well in a container of at least 25 L (6 gal).
Is Roma resistant to disease?
Roma carries documented resistance to Verticillium wilt and Fusarium wilt (race 1).
See also
Grows like this one
Guides featuring this variety
