17 Unique Tomato Varieties That Grow In Shade

Tomatoes are sun-loving plants.

They produce better yields when they receive at least six hours of sunlight every day.

However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t plant them if your backyard or porch doesn’t receive abundant sunlight.

Some tomatoes adjust to limited light conditions.

So, you can still grow tomatoes by choosing such varieties. Let’s find out more about them.

17 Tomato Varieties That Thrive In Low-Sunlight Conditions

Some tomato vines can end up being leggy and bearing tiny fruits when planted in the shade.

Although they will produce fruits, the yield may be smaller than if they’re planted in sunlight.

Additionally, regular tomatoes can take longer to ripen without sunlight.

However, vigorously-growing and smaller varieties of tomatoes do well in low-light conditions.

Let’s look at some of these adaptable tomato varieties.

1. Sungold Tomatoes

Sungold tomatoes are cherry tomatoes that produce bright orange-red fruits.

This hybrid variety is originally from Japan.

However, it’s widely grown all over the world now.

This tomato is highly prized for its deliciously sweet flavors.

The tomatoes are ready for harvest when they turn orange.

Leaving them on the vine for much longer will cause their delicate skin to break.

Sungold tomato plants produce large yields of at least 120 fruits per plant under optimal growth conditions.

Although they do best in full sunlight, they can also tolerate low light conditions.

So, you can conveniently grow them on your patio or backyard in partial shade.

2. Black Cherry Tomatoes

Black cherry tomatoes are ornamental tomatoes with unique purple-black skin and flesh.

They’re an indeterminate variety that grows profusely when they receive enough water, fertilizer, and sunlight.

The plants bear fruits early and are ready for harvest in just sixty-five days.

This tomato has a sweet and robust flavor profile with just a hint of tartness.

They’re great for salads and vegetable platters, where they can add a beautiful pop of color.

Their rich flavors also make them work in kebabs and other grill recipes.

3. Jaune Flamme Tomatoes

Jaune Flamme tomatoes are beautiful apricot-colored heirloom French tomatoes that do well when grown in the shade.

These tiny round tomatoes have meaty flesh with red streaks. Their thick skin makes them good for drying.

They’re citrusy and fruity, which makes them a good choice for snacking.

You can also roast them and use them to prepare sauces.

Jaune Flamme tomatoes don’t thrive in hot conditions.

Hence, they’re the perfect variety to grow in the shade.

However, they grow a lot and will need trellis or support to avoid flopping.

4. Sweet Million Tomatoes

Sweet Million tomatoes are an incredibly fast-growing variety of cherry tomatoes.

Not only are they very easy to grow, but they also produce impressive yields of several hundreds of tomatoes per plant.

The plants produce long and full clusters of small tomatoes throughout the growing season.

They’re very hardy and adaptable.

Hence, they can tolerate low light conditions and produce ample fruit despite the lack of sunlight.

Sweet Million tomatoes are predominantly sweet, with low acidity.

They’re widely preferred for snacking. You can also add them to salads.

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5. Cherry Cascade Tomatoes

Cherry cascades are good tomatoes to grow in hanging baskets and containers because the fruits tumble down from the vines.

They’re small and bright red cherry tomatoes with the perfect balance of sweet and acidic flavors.

Although the fruits are just as big as currants, the plant produces high yields throughout the growing season.

These plants grow neatly and don’t need any side-trimming.

They’re a compact variety that survives in low light and limited space conditions.

They’re perfect for tiny kitchen spaces and balconies.

These tomatoes taste great in salads and are also good for grilling and roasting.

6. Minibel Tomatoes

Minibel tomatoes are a dwarf tomato variety that exhibits bushy growth.

It’s a good choice for container gardening and grows well in partially-lit patios and backyards.

The plant produces tiny bite-size cherry tomatoes, which are irresistibly sweet.

There is barely any acidic note to their flavor. The skin of these fruits has medium thickness.

Since these plants are easy to grow and need less care, they’re a good choice for beginners.

The tomatoes ripen in seventy-five days.

However, they may take slightly longer when you plant them in the shade.

Since the plants produce a lot of fruits, the vines need support when they bear fruit.

Unless you add a trellis or cage for support, the vines may break.

7. Ildi Tomatoes

Ildi tomatoes are a high-yielding variety of cherry tomatoes that produce copious tiny yellow tomatoes when the conditions are right.

This early variety of tomato produces fruits within 55 days of planting.

Each plant bears three or four fruit-laden trusses, and the fruits hold on to the vines strongly.

Ildi tomatoes are sweet with a hint of tartness.

They taste great in salads and snack platters, where they add a beautiful pop of yellow color.

8. Juliet Hybrid Tomatoes

Juliet hybrid tomatoes are grape tomatoes that resemble Roma tomatoes.

However, they’re much smaller than Roma tomatoes.

The plants thrive and produce a large number of tomatoes on each vine.

They’re also very hardy and hence a great choice for beginner gardeners.

The tomatoes are soft, juicy, and delicious, with a balanced flavor that is both sweet and tart.

Although they take longer to ripen than other small tomatoes, they have a long shelf life.

9. Principe Borghese Tomatoes

The Principe Borghese is an Italian heirloom tomato that produces red plum tomatoes within seventy to seventy-five days of planting.

These tomatoes are flavorful, meaty, and highly versatile. They’re perfect for sun-drying.

You can use these tomatoes instead of Roma tomatoes because their flavors match.

Principe Borghese tomatoes produce big clusters of fruits that weigh 1 to 2 ounces each and ripen quickly.

However, the yield may not be as high when planted in the shade.

10. Vernissage Yellow Tomatoes

Vernissage tomatoes are Ukrainian heirloom tomatoes that produce huge crops and lush foliage.

They’re yellow cherry tomatoes with light green stripes.

They’re very sweet with a hint of acidity and very juicy too.

These tomatoes are most commonly used as salad tomatoes.

These tomatoes make a great addition to vegetable platters and cheese boards.

Being a high-yielding and disease-resistant tomato cultivar, Vernissage yellow tomatoes can cope with low sunlight conditions.

11. Mama Leone Tomatoes

Mama Leone tomato is an Italian tomato cultivar.

These are large plum tomatoes that produce good yields.

They’re also very hardy and adaptable and hence suitable for growing in the shade.

Mama Leone tomato plants have shiny red, oval, paste-like fruits.

They’re best suited for sauces, pastes, and stews.

You can also use these tomatoes for canning and preparing pasta sauce.

12. Roma Tomatoes

Roma tomatoes are one of the most abundantly available varieties of tomatoes on the market.

They’re regular-size tomatoes with plain red skin and an elongated round shape.

Roma tomatoes are very versatile. You can use them for cooking, canning, and roasting.

These tomatoes are resistant to diseases and hence easy to grow. These tomatoes do best when grown in full sun.

Nonetheless, they also adjust to low-light conditions.

Hence, you can expect the plants to yield at least a few tomatoes even when planted in the shade.

13. Siberia Tomatoes

Siberia is a regular-size tomato.

It’s suitable for planting in the shade because the plant produces fruit early and it ripens quickly.

However, Siberia needs a steady and good-quality nutrient supply to produce good yields.

These tomatoes are large, round, meaty, and sweet.

They’re good for slicing and adding to sauces and stews. You can also use them in salads.

14. Redorta Tomatoes

Redorta tomatoes are an Italian heirloom variety. The plants produce large tomatoes that resemble chilies.

They’re full of flavor and very juicy and moist.

These tomatoes are good for cooking, canning, and making tomato paste.

A single Redorta plant will produce large numbers of fruits within two months of transplanting.

They do best in full sun but can also adapt to low light conditions.

15. Green Zebra Tomatoes

Green Zebra is a classic tomato breed that produces small striped tomatoes.

The tomatoes remain green even when they’re fully ripe.

The plant produces generous yields, and the tomatoes are hardy and resilient to disease.

Hence, they cope well with low light conditions also.

These tomatoes are zesty and deliciously tart.

They’re a perfect addition to salads for their bright green color and citrusy flavors.

The mottled green and orange stripes on the skin also make them a delightful addition to any dish.

16. Carmello Tomatoes

The best thing about Carmello tomatoes is that the plant produces good yields even in cool climates.

It’s a hybrid variety that was first bred in France. It’s exceptionally disease-tolerant.

These tomatoes produce fruits early, but the tomatoes grow to a good size and have well-rounded flavors.

Carmello tomatoes have fine complex flavors that are both sweet and deliciously tart.

The fruits are good for snacking. They’re also good for cooking.

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17. Blondkopfchen Tomatoes

This German yellow cherry tomato yields an incredibly large harvest, even when grown in the shade.

The most prominent and appealing factor about this tomato is its beautiful golden yellow skin that doesn’t crack at all.

It’s highly disease-resistant.

The plant yields large clusters of yellow tomatoes throughout the growing season.

It’s sweet with just a hint of acidity, which creates a complex flavor.

The Blondkopfchen is one of the best snacking tomatoes. It also goes well in salads and pesto.