Description

Tomato Fantome du Laos
Solanum lycopersicum

Pale yellow, almost white, flattened round tomato. 7 to 12 cm in diameter. Mild flavor. 1.50-metre plant. Native to Laos. According to legend, if a departed person thinks of us, this tomato fluoresces when exposed to starlight. Indeterminate. 75 days to maturity.

Full sun, well drained and rich soil. Sow indoors 8 to 10 weeks before last frost. 5 mm deep. 60 cm between plants.

Germination: 95% in November 2025
Ecological seeds produced at Catherine’s Ornamental Garden.

Note
After testing several varieties of white beefsteaks, I’ve come to realize that there’s not much difference in flavor between one or another, you just have to harvest them at the right time. Underripe they’re almost tasteless and overripe they become floury. In the end, I decided to continue producing the Fantôme du Laos. It’s a good, productive variety, and I must admit it has a very pretty name! Harvest starts early in August, but towards the end of September the tomatoes tend to ripen all at once. It’s perfect for filling the freezer, and makes an excellent soup stock!

P.S. I left some tomatoes in the starlight and they seemed to glow a little, but maybe I’m just totally off base…