From Green Stripes to True North

[PNW_D]

The beginning ...... or at least as far back as I can go .......

discovery of green stripes https://tgc.ifas.ufl.edu/vol1/v1p9.html

so we begin with Tigerella

Tad Smith in an effort to get a Tigerella type striping on large fruit with a bicolor interior started with a cross that included Old German with Tigerella named Tad

nearly certain that Tad is the source of the striped characteristic of the crossed Brandywine that Craig LeHoullier with help of Larry Bohs lead to discovery of Lucky Cross

Lucky Cross is a parent of Millard Murdock’s Captain Lucky

and we now have, thanks to Karen and Marsha , the True North series started from a cross by Karen Oliver of Ludmilla’s Pink Heart x Captain Lucky resulting in Tundra, Taiga, Polaris, True Colours and Midnight Sun

of course there is more history to Brandywine, Old German, Ludmilla’s Pink Heart, etc. But enough for now ..... please feel free to add more or make corrections as needed

and special thank you to Tania who offers much of this information on her site ....

[wykvlvr]

Bit of history on Tigerella. https://blog.gardeningknowhow.com/tbt/h ... -tomatoes/
Please note that every source that has a history says it came from the UK where it was called Mr. Stripey. Unfortunately in the US we have a bi-color beefsteak called Mr Stripey which has caused a lot of confusion down the years. Some places you will still see them listed as Tigerella(Mr. Stripey) But here is the kicker Tigerella came from the UK and was possibly in existence as early as the 1930s. It is thought to have come from an even earlier striped variety so the sudden appearance of stripes as mentioned in the linked article is not talking about Tigerella and its stripes.

Of course besides having a confusing history Tigerella elicits some of the most varied comments regarding its flavor. Some say bland, almost tasteless, others tart and sour, others call it tangy... Mine this year had a nice touch of tart/tang but not sour or bland. I really enjoyed them. My plant was also very large and bushy and was allowed to sprawl on the ground. It survived our early snow and 4 days of below freezing weather producing another 30 ripe tomatoes before succumbing to a third freeze! Yes I will be growing it again next year.

[KarenO]

To clarify, my true North series is my independent work.
Marsha worked on the KARMA series with me.
Incidentally, captain lucky is also a parent of the cross I did which resulted in the six released KARMA tomatoes as well.
Interesting history!
KarenO