Cherokee Purple Tomato

Certified Organic

Solanum lycopersicum

Let this opal, smoky tomato be the breakout star of your garden.

Like BBQ and whiskey, Cherokee Purple Tomato tastes like Tennessee. Its perfect balance of sweet and acid, savory and smoky is like sitting in a rocking chair and listening to the wise words of an old timer. Originally grown by members of the Cherokee nation, it was shared with one Tennessee family who passed the precious seeds from generation to generation for nearly one hundred years. The seeds eventually found their way into the hands of tomato connoisseur Craig LeHoullier, who named it in honor of its origins.

For the perfect embodiment of an "heirloom tomato," look no further Cherokee Purple is your dream tomato. A reddish fruit with stunning dark-colored shoulder-top striations or marbling, the Cherokee Purple also boasts legendary taste and heavy production. It's happily indeterminate and will give you tasty, massive fruit all summer long.

Cherokee Purple is part of Slow Foods US Ark of Taste, a catalog of over 200 delicious foods in danger of extinction. By promoting, sowing, and growing Ark products we help ensure they remain in production and on our plates.

Shop with confidence: we are now shipping seeds labeled for 2025 planting.

from $13.49

UnitPriceQuantityAvailability
Art Pack / Organic / 25 seeds $4.79 In Stock
25 seeds / Organic $3.99 In Stock
75 seeds / Organic $7.99 In Stock
225 seeds / Organic $13.49 In Stock

Price as selected:

Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost in a warm spot with ample light (supplemental light usually required). Transplant outdoors once frost has passed. Staking required. Prune tomatoes when they reach about 24" high.

Days to Maturity 80 days from transplant
Planting Depth ½"
Height at Maturity 60"
Sun Preference Full Sun
Growth Habit Indeterminate

Illustration by Bobbi Angell. Bobbi is a botanical illustrator who has worked for the New York Botanical Garden and the New York Times. To match the tones of this heirloom tomato, she used copper plate etching, which she hand tinted with watercolors.

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