Rizzi Hi-Yield Plum

Red plum tomato. High-rounded to ellipsoid in shape. Fruits measure 3-3.75" long, 2-3" wide and weigh 5.5-10 ounces. Fruit borne in clusters of 2-4. Meaty, dark red flesh with an excellent depth of flavor. Brix 5.8. Indeterminate growth habit and regular leaves. Regina suggests topping the plant at 4 feet and allowing it to bush out for a high yield. For maximum fruit set, early suckers should be allowed as fruits set lowest on the plant will be the largest. With its origins in the Apulia region of southeastern Italy, this variety made its way to the US when the Rizzi family emigrated from the town of Barletta following WWI. Once established as shoemakers in Endicott, New York, in the early 1920s, Vito Antonio Rizzi (1897-1983) wrote to his sister Immacolata, who had remained in Italy, “Mandami I semi di Pomodoro”—“Send me the tomato seeds”. She did so, hiding them in the glue of an envelope closure to avoid detection at the Post Office. Vito gave seed to his son Luciano “Lou” Rizzi (1935-2019) who gave it to his niece Regina (Rizzi) Santore of Knoxville, TN, in 2010. Regina donated this variety to SSE in 2022. SSE Accession # 133916