Amish Paste
Aunt Ruby's German Green
Creole
German Johnson
Homestead
Manyel
Mule Team
Stupice
Super Sioux
Tropic

Tropic is a good one.
OTV does good too.

Solar Set (probably the best tasting of the heatset varieties)
Boondocks
Sioux (better tasting than Super Sioux, IMO)

slo,

You may want to check out which varieties do well in Florida, as Hawaii's climate is similar much of the year (my son lives in Honolulu). I would think varieties that flourish like Arkansas Traveler which does well in hot AND humid climates would work well.

It would be interesting to see if there are some native Hawaiian varieties that have developed over the years. I don't recall seeing any commercial tomato farming in my travels there, but there must be a local agricultural industry that serves the hotel and consumer market.

Raybo

Thanks for the suggestions! Raybo, I did see some varieties suggested for Florida when I searched, but they were primarily hybrids. While we were over there in Hawaii, I saw some roadside produce stands selling heirloom tomatoes, but I don't know what varieties. The supermarket had some locally grown (cardboard tasting) commerical hybrid types, as well as some imported heirlooms (from my local area LOL). My friends are already successfully growing Early Girl and Yellow Pear so I know it can be done, but the tomato snob in me thinks that they can do better than those (LOL). I do have Hawaiian Currant to send. I'm surprised by some of the suggestions like Stupice, which I think of being known for its cold tolerance.

It's not "hot" in Hawaii (maybe that's relative, but). It rarely gets over 90 degrees anywhere in the islands. Even the humidity is usually dried up by tradewinds. It's just not cold either unless you live at elevation, like Upcountry Maui. Florida's highs and lows both exceed Hawaii's by a good bit, not counting Hawaii's mountain zones which I believe go as low as zone 4 on Maui.

Hawaii's climate is "perfect" for any heirloom. The problem is pests and disease, primarily fruit fly and TSWV. Cherry tomatoes do best with the flies and are popular with gardeners there. Certain types bred in and for Hawaii by UH, Kewalo comes to mind; and the TSWV resistors, Amelia, BHN 444, 640 etc., are best bets.

A successful farmer named Richard Ha (youtube link) has grown 80+ varieties of heirlooms successfully on the Big Island where he gets 200 inches of rain, but he uses hydroponics and "open sided greenhouses" and sprays stuff many here wouldn't spray.

Search the Hawaii Gardening Forum and you'll find growing tomatoes is a challenge there, but not primarily because of the weather, which just depends on where exactly you are in the islands, most spots being excellent climate-wise. There's even a thread disputing comparisons to Florida. Hawaii's hot humid spell is brief in some parts non existent in others; whereas, Florida's is extended and oppressive.

Mojavebob, who plans to retire as Mauibob in the next ten years. ;)