About this catalogue
Methodology, sources, and citation information.
The Lazariev family seed collection in Ukraine has been actively curating heirloom and open-pollinated tomato cultivars since 1991, with an emphasis on Eastern European varieties not commonly available in North American or Western European catalogues.
The primary source for this catalogue is the Ukrainian-language master catalogue catalog_2026_01.docx, maintained by the family. Each cultivar entry includes morphological observations recorded across multiple growing seasons.
For the present English edition, cultivar names have been cross-referenced with several international heirloom databases to identify canonical names.
- Tatiana TOMATObase — comprehensive heirloom tomato database maintained by Tatiana Kouchnareva (Anmore, Canada). Primary reference for canonical English names of Russian, Ukrainian, and Eastern European cultivars. tatianastomatobase.com
- Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds — extensive heirloom catalog with detailed variety histories. Reference for North American and international heirloom names. rareseeds.com
- Dwarf Tomato Project — collaborative breeding project by Craig LeHoullier (USA) and Patrina Nuske-Small (Australia). Authoritative source for dwarf tomato cultivar names. dwarftomatoproject.net
- Семко-Юниор / Sortinfo — Russian-language seed registries for transliteration verification of Russian and Ukrainian cultivar names.
Each entry in this catalogue includes plant height (in metres), average fruit weight (in grams), primary fruit form, fruit colour profile, and a descriptive note from the original Ukrainian source material.
Of 331 total cultivars, 147 have canonical English heirloom names confirmed via the reference databases above. The remaining cultivars use transliterated Ukrainian names; these may be updated as additional verification work is completed.
Categories reflect the cultivar's primary morphological character. Some varieties could reasonably be classified under multiple categories — for instance, a black-fruited dwarf cultivar might appear under either "Black-fruited" or "Dwarf" depending on the gardener's primary interest. The classification used here reflects the source catalogue's organization.
For inquiries about specific cultivars, seed orders, or to suggest corrections to this catalogue, please contact the publisher:
- Catalogue editorial: elena@lazareva.info
- Seed orders (international): en.seed.ua
- Seed orders (Ukraine): seed.ua
- Source data: Available on request for academic and conservation use