Hand packaged seeds, harvested from plants grown by us in Leicestershire. DEFRA Licensed.

Free UK P&P on all orders over £25

Piglet Willies French Black

Avg. 15 tomato seeds

£4.95

Out of stock

Piglet Willies French Black Tomato

'Piglet Willie’s French Black' (often shown as Pigletwillie's French Black) is a highly reliable dark speciality tomato with a famous backstory and a cult following among heirloom seed collectors.

Origin & Lore

  • The Story: The variety is named after the late American gardening blogger known online as "Piglet Willie" (Pigletwillie), who collected the seeds while on vacation in France and brought them back to North America.

  • Status: Classified as an open-pollinated "folk selection" / speciality heirloom of unknown traditional lineage.

Fruit Characteristics

  • Shape & Sizing: Uniform, globe shaped, small to medium saladette/slicer fruits 50–120g 

  • Colouration: Despite the name "Black," it is not a high-anthocyanin blue tomato. Instead, it features classic "black tomato" skin tones—maturing to a deep mahogany-red or dark maroon base with soft chocolate-brown shoulders. 

  • Cluster Growth: Fruits form in clean, heavy clusters of 4 to 6 tomatoes per truss. The stems are sturdy enough that whole clusters can be harvested together.

Flavour & Flesh Texture

  • Flavour: Exceptional, complex "black tomato" profile - rich, full bodied, and earthy with a balance of smoky undertones, moderate sweetness, and a tangy finish. Thoroughly delicious!

  • Texture: Meaty yet juicy interior with dense flesh, holding firm skin that resists cracking and stores exceptionally well post harvest.

Growth

  • Growth Habit: Indeterminate, tall, vigorous vines growing 1.7–1.8 m

  • Foliage: Regular leaf foliage.

  • Maturity: Mid-season, around 120 days from seed sowing to ripe fruit

  • Yield: Extremely productive and continuous throughout the season, regularly setting fruit clusters every two leaves.