10 Tomatoes & Peppers That Thrive at High Altitude
If you’re gardening at high altitude, you know we have it tough. Short, frost-free growing seasons, temperature swings of about 40 degrees daily, intense winds, poor soil, large pests. Wait, why are we growing here? Just kidding–that’s why we’re here, right? To learn how to grow plants for our difficult climate.
And one of the most important factors in growing well at high altitude is choosing the right varieties. We want to look for key words like “short season,” “frost tolerant,” “cold hardy,” “high-altitude adapted.” The wild part about seed genetics is that they remember! They remember if they survived freezing temps, pest pressure, drought conditions. And that makes them even more adapted for growing in your microclimate the following year (and why I’m a huge advocate for seed saving).
Tomatoes and peppers can be notoriously tricky to grow here in Flagstaff and other short-season, high-altitude climates. SO here are some varieties of both that have done well for me (and are available in my Seed Shop)
Tomatoes (Organized by Size)
One of the sweetest tomatoes out there, with a delicious fruity flavor.
These tiny, creamy yellow tomatoes are about dime sized and grow in large clusters.
This one's a must-grow in the garden and performed very well in our high-altitude, short-season climate.
65-70 days to maturity from transplant
Rare, indeterminate cherry tomato.
This bright red tomato is very sweet, strong, delicious, and prolific.
Developed by Iva Graša of Slovenia and the result of a stabilized cross between an OP Sungold (F2 or F3) and a volunteer Supersweet 100 (F2) in 2003 and released at the F5 stage in 2010.
Does well in cooler weather.
65 days to maturity from transplant
Indeterminate Ukrainian heirloom
These seed genetics have been growing in Flagstaff for 15+ years and are well adapted to high-altitude growing!
Saladette size
Deep mahogany color with iridescent green stripes.
Pleasantly rich and sweet with a slight smokey flavor.
65-70 days to maturity from transplant
(Rare, Cold Tolerant)
Rare, indeterminate Russian red slicer that absolutely thrives in mountain climates.
In fact, it's on its way to becoming cold tolerant! The flavor is fantastic and delicious—one of my absolute favorites!
Chosen by Organic Garden Magazine as one of the 10 best early tomatoes in the world.
59 days to maturity from transplant
Paul Robeson (Rare Heirloom)
Rare, indeterminate Russian heirloom with a brick-red color.
The sweet, smokey flavor makes it very popular among tomato connoisseurs.
Named after Paul Robeson, an acclaimed performer in the 20th century known for his acting, singing, and activism against racial injustice.
One year it was the first to ripen in my high-altitude, short-season garden (even before the cherries)!
70-78 days to maturity from transplant
Peppers (Organized by Spiciness)
Corno di Toro Sweet Pepper (Heirloom)
This heirloom sweet pepper is a wonderful Italian frying pepper with thin skin and thick walls.
Corno di Toro translates to "Bull's Horn" in Italian, as the fruits are shaped similarly.
Super sweet and crunchy! Great for fresh eating, frying, or stuffing, this pepper tastes great in both green and red stages.
65-75 Days to Maturity.
Mini Chocolate Bell Pepper (Heirloom)
This heirloom pepper is about 2 inches across, ripening from green to chocolatey brown with red/brown flesh.
Its flavor is sweet, crisp, and juicy, making it a perfect snacking pepper.
Plants grow about 1.5 to 2.5 feet tall and are great for containers.
70-75 Days to Maturity
Shishito Pepper (Heirloom)
Shishito is a crowd-favorite mild heirloom pepper, with about 1 in 10 being spicy.
Hailing from Japan, these peppers are delicious when blistered with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.
Ripens from green to red with ribbed fruits, but often eaten in the green stage.
60-65 days to maturity from transplant
50-200 Scovilles (SHU)
(Heirloom, Rare)
The Fish Pepper is a beautiful variegated pepper with green and white leaves.
A very flavorful, productive plant, these were solid producers in our high altitude gardens.
These compact plants grow to about 2 feet tall, great for containers
5,000 to 30,000 Scovilles (SHU), comparable to a jalapeño or serrano.
70-80 Days to Maturity.
Hot Lemon Pepper (Heirloom, Rare)
This pepper originates from Ecuador and has been grown in areas of South America (like Peru) for centuries.
These rare, heirloom peppers are packed with flavor and a hint of fruity citrus, ripening from green to a lemony yellow color.
Spicy, ranging 15,000 to 30,000 SHU on the Scoville scale, similar to a Cayenne pepper.
Plants were wildly prolific in our high altitude garden.
75-80 Days to Maturity
Okay, so now you have 10 tomatoes and peppers to start with in your short season garden! But there is one last thing to note–not all seeds are created equal. Finding seeds with origins grown in a climate similar to yours (or even in your same location) is ideal. If you buy seeds from a company growing peppers at high altitude, those seed genetics will already be used to growing at high elevations and will outperform seed bought elsewhere. So keep that in mind when you’re considering where to buy your seeds, and know that all the seeds in our Seed Shop are grown or harvested by us, right in our family’s high desert gardens in Flagstaff, AZ (7,000 ft) and Albuquerque, NM (6,000 ft).
Happy gardening!
