Looking for varieties from Ireland and/or Scotland

[Miss_Mudcat]

Any suggestions? I understand there are few. I just joined SSE and am aware there are a very few listed in there. I'm the family historian and have an interest in those countries, and this would add a new dimension to my tomato growing experiences.

Thanks,
Lisa

[mdvpc]

Lucky Leprechaun is supposedly from Ireland. It gets about 3 feet tall and has red fruit. Its regular leaf, if I remember correctly.

[michael johnson]

Yellow scotland/ long keeper is another, also the varigated leaf tomato is said by some- to have originated in Ireland.

[Miss_Mudcat]

Thanks for the info! Michael, where in UK are you from?

Lisa

[montanamato]

Dingwall Scotty- brought from Scotland during WW11
Auld Sod- Irish origin cherry
Variegated- May be Irish?

Jeanne

[carolyn137]

The variety named Variegated is said to have arisen in Ireland but the original name of the variety is not known, so I wouldn't really refer to Variegated as an Irish heirloom variety.

What created Variegated was probably a foliage mutation that led to the variegation. What is unique about it is that almost all other variegated tomato varieties known need to be propagated vegetatively but Variegated comes true from seed.

Variegated was grown in England and in Western Europe for several years before seeds made their way to the US.

One path was thru a seedsman who got them from a Frenchman he gets flower seed from, but in tracing things backwards, it turns out the Frenchman had received the seeds as Variegata, aka Variegated, but had changed the name to Splash of Cream. Not good. I received plants of Splash of Cream and tracing it back to the Frenchman found out the real name was Variegated. I offered seeds in an SSE listing two years ago and also distributed seeds widely at GW in my last seed offer there.

At the same time I received my plants of Splash of Cream, aka Variegated, SSE received seeds for Variegated from a contact in the Netherlands. SSE offered plants of it last year and now offers seeds of it thru their public SSE catalog.

I just made a seed offer here at Tville, now closed, where I also offered some seeds of Variegated.

Just thought some of you might be interested in some background information on this variety.

So without knowing what the original variety was in Ireland, I think it's stretching it to say that Variegated is an Irish heirloom; it's a mutation of something that was growing there and I don't know if it was a natrual or induced mutation, nor do I know what the original variety was named.

Actually there are very few tomato varieties known to be from Scotland or Ireland, or for that matter from the Scandinavian countries. And that's primarily b'c their cuisines are not tomato based.

[michael johnson]

miss-mudcat,
I am originaly from London.

[Sorellina]

Isn't Ailsa Craig Scottish?

[carolyn137]

Actually Ailsa Craig did originate in Scotland and was released there by the Alexander and Brown Seed Co, but I know that for years I thought it was a "venerable" British commercial heirloom.

I haven't researched it so off hand I don't know the release date.