Plum-shaped and sized, pink-fleshed fruits with anthocyanin straked shoulders that become much more pronounced when fruits are exposed to intense sunlight.
 
Production is obscene - absolutely, obscene.
 
A complex flavor, both sweet, yet acid - just an excellent tomato. Oh, and did I mention that the anthocyanin is the same chemical compound as a blueberry? So, technically when you are eating it you’re getting a serving of TWO fruits!
 
Purple Dragon is a good candidate for growing in a container ( 5 gal +), however, it will need a sturdy cage.

HISTORY: This tomato was developed from an F2 line from a 'P20' ('OSU Blue') X 'Black and Brown Boar' cross made by Mark McCaslin of Frogsleap Farm.
 
Here is an excerpt in Mark's own words as he posted at the Tomato Depot on July 18, 2013:
 
"All of the current “antho” varieties trace to germplasm developed at Oregon State University from wild relatives containing the genes Aft and atv. P20 was a line released by OSU to a handful of private breeders. There was an un-intentional release by a lab technician to the online tomato community – OSU Blue. It appears that P20 and OSU Blue were very similar. OSU had a commercial release of Indigo Rose in 2012. 
 
I got seed of OSU Blue from a tomato friend and crossed this to several things in my nursery in 2009. A friend in Hawaii produced F2 seed over winter, and I selected F2 plants with anthocyanin fruit and other interesting characteristics in a large breeding nursery in 2010. There were 2 of ~200 F2 plants that really stood out in that nursery.
 
One traced to the cross OSU Blue x Black and Brown Boar. It had very prominent anthocyanin stripes (Aft/gs) on purple/brown fruit. In 2011 I shared F3 seed with Dean (his nickname for this type – Purple Dragon) and a few others."
 
My original seed source was Dean Slater in 2012 and have continued growing it here  thus making this a Michigan Heirlooms exclusive.
 
Sold in a 3.5" pot.