I did a quick search... this is what I came up with... Enormous yields on vigorous vines that can grow up to 15-25 ft.. Need to be trellised. Each plant can produce up to 2-3 bushels of 6" across tomatoes. Fruits are rich red, meaty and large. Perfect for canning. Indeterminate. (85 days).

There was a picture the leaves looked PL.

Said it also went by the name of Trip-L-Crop.

- Tom -

Odd how they usually go into such great detail about folage type in most descriptions, especially when it is PL type. There is not one mention on any description I've found on Italian Tree (IT).

Thanks.

Steve

I raised a couople vines of that variety one year. PL with great vigor and production of large PINK tomatoes. There are better tasting large pink tomatoes, but these would be fine for canning. Mine were about 10 ft. tall.

Each plant can produce up to 2-3 bushels of 6" across tomatoes. Fruits are rich red, meaty and large. Perfect for canning. Indeterminate. (85 days)...

I suspect that the free seed pack offer in Totally Tomatoes' 2008 cat (viz: "Giant Tree Tomato") may be the same cultivar with an altered name. I have never grown it but my gut instinct is that it is usually very productive but usually produces fruits that have average taste for fresh-eating.

I may try it in 2008... if so, hopefully my first instinct will be correct, and my second shall be pleasingly incorrect.

Yes, it does seems to present a PL habit.

Reg

So now there's three names for one variety? Like it's not confusing enough! So Italian Tree, Trip-L-Crop AND Giant Tree Tomato! :)

Tom-

So now there's three names for one variety? Like it's not confusing enough! So Italian Tree, Trip-L-Crop AND Giant Tree Tomato! :)

*****

Hmmmm!!! LOL

Trip-L-Crop has long been listed in the SSE YEarbook as a pink, is IDed specifically with the Burgess Seed Co and has SSE Accession number 502 which means it entered SSE around the time it was formed in 1975.

I've grown Giant Tree, which is not a tree tomato, is an old CV and was resurrected by Craig LeHoullier from the USDA back in the early 90's as NSL 5830. It too is pink and PL.

If I had the time to go back into some of my older SSE Yearbooks I think I could sort things out, as to when they first were listed and by whom and where from and what the descriptions were.

I don't have the time right now.

But I wouldn't assume that the three listed above are all the same variety.( smile)

Fact is, there are hundreds of large pink PL varieties and unless they come to someone with a name attached it's darn hard to know what they are b'c there isn't all that much difference between them. There are far fewer PL reds.

Another problem that crops up is that the mutation from red to pink and the reverse is not that uncommon. All it takes is a single mutation of a clear epidermis ( pink) to a yellow epidermis ( red) for that to happen. I used to maintain several varieties in both their red and pink forms after such mutations occurred in my own tomato patch.

Carolyn

they really are gi-normouse plants.
Largish, pink, meaty fruits. Split kinda easy.

IIRC it was potatoe leaf.
This is mine from this year. 10+ feet tall and I didn't even take care of it. Had it been pampered... yikes!

http://ponyshow.com/smope/tree.jpg

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1288156}}

I ordered some 'Rare Italian Tomato Tree' seeds. I have 6 sprouts that have started and I have been trying to find more information on the care of the plants and how big they get. At the end of the year I'll come back and post how they did!
It would be wonderful if anyone with experience with these plants could leave an updated post.. Or if anyone knows a good link to reference, I would appreciate it!