Apricot Zebra Heirloom Cherry Tomato Review {with Pictures!}

These absolutely stunning, two-toned orange with yellow striped cherry tomatoes have knocked my socks off! When I read that they were beating out Sungold tomatoes in taste-tests, I just had to try them. Their color is gorgeous and the taste is beyond phenomenal! They have won a place in my garden forever more. Here is how this delicious variety did from seed until wildly-sweet harvest (with lots of pictures!) in our Apricot Zebra tomato review:

bright orange and yellow striped large cherry tomatoes, one whole and one sliced to show the glowing orange interior, of the heirloom variety called Apricot Zebra

Heirloom Apricot Zebra Tomato

Apricot Zebra is an extra large cherry tomato that packs a tasty punch! They are roughly ping pong ball to golf ball sized and tend to ripen vibrant orange with tropical yellow striping. (A couple had a smidgen of green striping left on them when ripe, which gave them a really unique look!)

The Flavor

Apricot Zebra is the SWEETEST TOMATO I HAVE EVER EATEN! I completely understand why gardeners are saying they beat out Sungold and were the favorite of everyone who tried them. “Shockingly good” is how I am going to describe the taste. They are truly golf ball sized so there’s more meat to them than a regular cherry tomato. They almost have a hint of Aunt Molly’s Ground Cherry sweetness with that deliciously fruity undertone that give orange tomatoes their sugar-and-acid appeal.

The Texture

Apricot Zebra is firm enough that it can handle being quartered for salads or diced in a yummy fresh pico without falling apart. It was not at all prone to squirting when sliced, even with a dull knife. I’m certain these would perform well in farmer’s market blends with other cherry and saladette varieties.

Apricot Zebra Truly Lives Up to the Hype!

You know how seed companies claim every tomato is “sweet” and “their favorite”? This is the real deal. I tasted one and immediately began making plans to fill my longest 16 foot bed with nothing but Apricot Zebra tomatoes next year.

Seed Starting Results:

I purchased Apricot Zebra seeds from Baker Creek and started them February 15. Apricot Zebra had 100% germination from the 6 seeds I planted. Starts were planted out around March 15. I picked the first ripe fruit May 22, which was 98 days from seed to harvest.

My spring seed starting setup was not fancy!

Plant Appearance & Growth:

Apricot Zebra had fewer leaves than all of my other tomato plants, giving them an airy-like appearance. This made foliar feeding a bit trickier since there were simply less leaves to get wet. The naturally good airflow is probably what allowed them to be the first of the cherry tomatoes to ripen, even though their fruit was larger. The plants needed almost zero pruning, the leaves are that sparse. I’m absolutely delighted that the best tasting tomato is also one of the lowest maintenance varieties I’ve ever grown!

young Apricot Zebra tomato plant with sparse and very airy looking leaf branches — Apricot Zebra cherry tomato plant about 2 months old, photographed April 21 after seeds were started February 15. This plant has had no pruning besides me removing one lower branch that was touching the soil when I planted it.

a young leafy tomato plant in a pot outside with a few yellow flowers blooming in bright sunlight — Notice how the stem has naturally sparse leaves in this image I took of a second plant flowering in April.

a light green young cherry tomato with darker green top growing on a tomato vine — How young green set fruit first appears.

two golf ball sized orange Apricot Zebra cherry tomatoes hanging on the plant's vine, ripening in outside sun — Green striping turns a sunny yellow color as the fruit ripens.

Good for Container Gardening

My two Apricot Zebra plants were in large pots on our back deck for the 2024 growing season and they did great! This variety will work in containers but it will need the tallest tomato cage you can buy to keep it upright.

Grow For Yourself and Friends

I’ll be saving seeds and growing these forever. I’m also planning to give them away so friends and family can try them as well. They are just too good not to share with everyone!