PlantFiles: Tomato
Lycopersicon lycopersicum 'Cherokee Purple'

'Cherokee Purple' is good, not great. It has a moderate yield of large, gorgeous berries with a yummy taste. I grew it next to 'Brandywine' last year to compare. Each had delicious flavor and darkly sexy fruit, but the 'Cherokee' produced fairly mealy tomatoes. 'Brandywine' wins.

Great flavor. Productive. Will grow again.

Easily one of the tastiest tomatoes to grow. Were it not for the tastiness, I probably wouldn't grown this one as it is prone to disease and plants only produce a few fruits at a time.

This one of my favorite tomatoes. I have grown it in 5 gallon pots with Promix BX for two years. I have had good success with this tomato and love the flavor. The comments about the tomato rotting on the vine - this does seem to be a trait of this tomato. I pick mine when they are ripe and put in the produce crisper in the fridge. They keep about a week that way. Without refrigeration, they are gone soon after they ripen - on the vine or off.

The flavor makes it worth it - great as the main entree on a sandwich.

This plant produces high quality fruits earlier than would be expected for tomatoes this size and quality. 68 days from plant out and three Cherokee Purple Plants I planted this year began to provide beutiful ripe fruits. This plant has a tendency to want to grow horizantal but can easily fill a 6' x 24" cage. I have had several fruits over 1# this year and Cherokee Purple will remain a part of my gardens for both flavor and reliable production.

Good taste and nice round form, unlike the ugly shapes some big heirlooms produce. Production was not great in my shaded vegetable garden, but I'll try it next to some flowers in a sunnier bed next year.

I'm growing this superb tomato in central Mexico (at some 7000ft altitude) both in the ground and in large pots. The sun here is severe and burns plants easily so I get best results when they're well shaded. The plants in the ground are much larger and better producers than the potted ones but even these potted ones are holding their own very nicely. I had one fruit go bad (blossom end rot?) but so far none of the many others have had similar problems. This is far and away my favorite tomato, both for growing and for its marvellous, complex taste - like no other. I like to pick them when there's still considerable green around the stem - tastes fully ripe to me.

First gew this tomato last year, Just a couple of plants. While this was not the most prolific producer I have to say it has become my favorite tomato based on the taste. A simply wonderful complex treat for the tounge.

This year I will be growing at least a dozen plants.

I've little to add to most of these comments, except to report that the Cherokee Purples I planted (two plants) did well, produced a good amount (though few fruits had a chance to ripen completely), and I really liked the rich flavor, not to mention how pretty they are sliced on a plate. No misshapen fruits to speak of, no obvious disease problems, but one notable oddity...

the one with only 4 hours of dappled sunlight per day beat out the full sun specimen. Go figure.

I am having pretty good luck with these guys. Large to extra large in size and a decent number of tomatoes. The taste is delicious. So sweet. No salt needed to bring out the flavor and they are great raw. I brought some to my dad's house. He saw them on the table and saw "Eww" but they were a big hit once they were sliced up and served. My only problem which is adding to their ugliness is the severe cracking they have endured. I water them quite frequently, but its been very hot and there's a lot of cracking around the top.

This is the first year we have grown this tomato and it has flourished in the face of severe drought and extreme 100+ degree heat. The only bug that seemed to effect this plant and all my tomato plants was the blister bug. Sunburn from the extreme heat ruined some of the fruit, but the plant did fine. The Cherokee Purple was the most resistant to bugs and certainly the most prolific producer. Tomatoes grew from small palm size to very large pound size. The taste was wonderful.

Hi. First time growing veggies, and planted two each of the Cherokee Purple, Rutgers Select, and Yellow Heirloom - all out behind the garage. They look great and healthy so far. Expecting them to turn color between first and second weekend in August. The Cherokee Purple is beautiful, just over five feet tall...can't wait to taste them!

I tried this one for the obvious novelty. However it is very early for an indeterminate. The flavor is unique and delicious. Though touted as a moderately productive tomato, I can't keep up with my plants.

I have to admit this is not a beautiful tomato, but when I serve it with other more attractive tomatoes, I always tell my friends -- try the ugly one. And they love it. Actually, if one comes to love heirlooms, Cherokee Purple is quite attractive.
Here in New Mexico at 7300 ft. Cherokee Purple is one of the earlier tomatoes. Later than Stupice but well before Prudens Purple and the Brandywines and others.
It won a tomato taste contest conducted here in New Mexico by Tauton's Fine Gardening some years ago.
It has a distinctive sort of double flower and has won it's way into my heart. I understand that it may not do well in all soils and climates.

I grew Cherokee Purple for the first time last year. I had two plants and they grew luxuriously and bore abundant fruit. The Cherokee Purple was our choice of eating tomato as the flavor, texture and mouthfeel was simply fabulous. Many times we would just slice one or two and have tomato sandwiches on toast for supper! My brother raises heirloom tomatoes to sell and this tomato has no equal IMHO.
Location: Central Illinois Disease or Pests: Virtually none Quality of Fruit: Excellent Uses: Sliced for salad; caprese salad with buffalo mozzarella and fresh basil (5 stars!!); sandwiches. Plants in Ground: Memorial Day First tomato: Right around the 4th of July.

Have grown this tomato twice in Bryan Texas, very successfully. It produces well in the heat and humidity. Right now in May, mine has probably 3 dozen green tomatoes on it in various sizes, and not a shred of disease. Interestingly, it is between a "Better Boy" and a "Tomande," both of which are getting whiteflies and stink bugs, but they leave the Cherokee Purple alone.

UPDATE, JUNE 5 2006: What an awesome tomato! It is now outperforming the hybrids in both health and productivity in the now-hot Texas sun...it is still setting fruit with temps in mid-90s.

Cherokee Purple is one of the best-tasting tomatoes on the planet, packing a sweet taste that's in the same ballpark as Pink Brandywine -- but of course, you need a healthy plant and an ideal climate. This variety seems to grow great in the Indianapolis area and has been a mainstay in my garden for the better part of a decade. If you haven't had any luck with it, you might try buying plants instead of seeds. A vendor at a farmers' market in downtown Indianapolis (at the City Market) sells giant plants for only $5 each, and five for $20, and it's hardly the only place around that stocks Cherokee plants.

Tried this one over two seasons. As with most heirlooms in Houston, the heat and humidity did a number on it. I never got more than a few small maters and those didn't have any flavor or texture to justify growing it. Maybe if I had coated it with fungicide each week - but I tend to the lazy organic side of things.

Fabulous, complex flavor -- a must grow every year, and a top ten tomato for me. I wouldn't be without it. Fruits turn a very deep purplish red in my climate.

In my family’s opinion this was another disappointing tomato. I gave it a fair chance, but ended up pulling it out early because the tomatoes never had much flavor. Also, as someone else had, they kept rotting on the vine. Other tomatoes were planted by them, in the very same compost rich soil, and they were fine.

Cherokee Purple produced lots of fruit, but I never got a single one because they all rotted. Every last one of them were rotten on the inside, and the rot seemed to start at the stem end. Never could get an answer as to what was going on, but I'm giving up on them anyway.

Two years growing both times poor results Prudens is far superior in my area. I will not try this one again

I have grown Cherokee Purple for three years now. I love the flavor and the color. This has been the best crop and they were started indoors from seed. The previous two years I bought plants.

This is the most delicious tomato ever, but sooo difficult, it always has the most rot and the fewest tomatoes and lumpy, unattractive, cracked, etc. fruit :-( but worth it just for the few sublime moments!

Very yummy if very ugly tomato. Large fruits with somewhat slimy greenish inside. When it comes to flavor, I think this is the very best. Sampled it at work, a garden center, everyone absolutely loved it. Can't say enough about this tomato!

This is the first year that I have seen this variety at my local nursery--Paulino Garden's in Denver, Colorado. My neighbor and I have both planted the Cherokee Purple in NW Denver. So far, our plants have been entirely disease free. I have watered this plant liberally--as Denver is semi-arid. I myself have picked 3 tomatoes to date--August 18th, 2005. The early planting season is generally delayed here by cold weather, so I put this plant in around May 15th. So, I am at around 90 days from planting to first harvest--normal for this item. I picked my first 3 tomatoes a day or two early, so I allowed them to ripen off the vine with some of my other tomatoes. As expected, the Cherokee's deepened in color from green-purple to red-purple. This heirloom is fantastic--very moist and dense inside flesh--not the least bit watery or grainy. I attribute that to regular, liberal watering--with only light to moderate fertilization (early soil-mixed compost and late water-base fertilizer). The stem of the plant did not split from under watering, but the fruit did split slightly near the stem. I have read the term "complex" to describe the flavor, but I disagree somewhat. The flavor is not stark--either acidically sour or surprisingly sweet. In short, it does not have the over-powering "tomato" flavor some might be used too (and therefore, disappointed by). This tomato is subtle and smooth--with many of the flavor emerging near the end of the bite--not at the beginning. I would eat it with sandwiches, but also with feta or blue cheese crumbles, herbed or not. I think this is what we should expect from heirlooms like this--surprisingly tomato flavor, celebrated BECAUSE they do not taste like something from the grocery. I would definitely grow this one again. I am eating mine—this evening—with a nice rib eye or fillet!

Very tasty tomato. I had a lot of blossom end rot with this variety initially, but now (late July) I am getting some good ones and they are really good in almost any tomato recipe, or just in a salad. I had one that weighed nearly one pound, which is quite big for me.

I am growing a Cherokee Purple Tomato Plant and not sure when to pick the fruit. The plant is doing very well and the fruit is growing. A couple started to ripen, but only the bottoms are turning pinkish purple. The tops are still green. They have been that way for about a week or more. The tomato is soft to touch and feels like it is ready to pick, but does not look ready. I am used to Early Girls and Better Boys that ripen real fast and red all over. I picked one and it had very good flavor but was kind of mushy. I am going to stick it out and see if the green goes away, but I don't want my tomatos to go bad on the vine!!!!

Very vigorous grower,large plant,no tomato blight to speak of midway through the growing season.
First bite,taste tells you a tomato,then as you chew,you have a experience like noe other you have tasted before,I prefer it in salads,rather than a slice on a sandwich,it just seems to me,it goes better with salad fixings than meat!
Also noted,no tomato bottom rot,or cracks in the skins.

I live in Indianapolois Indiana where I love to grow unusual and unique EVERYTHING! LOL.
I was really looking forward to a unique and well reviewed tomato last year when I started some Purple Cherokee tomato seeds inside and then transplanted them into my garden in May. What I ended up getting was weird! From the outside the tomatoes all looked like the pictures I had seen of this heirloom tomato, but when you cut one open there was next to nothing in it! Inside they looked like bell peppers when you cut one in half - a small bunch of seeds up at the top where the tomatoes stem was, but nothing else! The adult tomatoes were entirely hollow! They had absolutely no juice or meat to them at all! I got the seeds through a seed exchange early in the spring so maybe I just got a bad gene pool or something. I was very disappointed though.

I grew this tomato for the first time last year and it was a winner. A lovely smokey flavor that is quite complex and interesting. Goes great with BLTs. My 8yo daughter will not eat any other type of tomato now (and she is/was a tomato fiend before) It does tend to crack with uneven watering. I didn't notice any more trouble with disease than with my other tomatoes. I grew two of these and seemed to have plenty.

I grew the Cherokee Purple for the first time last year, and it is the best tasting tomato I have ever grown. The only drawback is that the plants are stingy producers. I'll compensate this year with more plants. All of my Cherokees were picked with green shoulders, and the tomato turned a lavendar/purple when I scalded the tomatoes to skin them.

I'm growing the Cherokee in my garden in Oak Park, Illinois. When I first tasted this fruit, I felt as if I had time traveled back to my grandparent's farm in Michigan. Old time taste, big tomatoes with supple flesh, good balance of acidity and sweetness.

I've gotten about 22 tomatoes from one plant. And, I don't expect that all the little ones will ripen before the frost. For that reason, I've been slicing green ones, dipping them in milk and beaten egg, then in crumbs and frying them. A squirt of Frank's Louisiana Hot Sauce. Heavenly!

These will also be good for making pickled green tomatoes. More to come....

Don't get me wrong, I am very impressed by the totally different, smoky flavor, nice texture, not too juicy or dry. But either I am doing something totally wrong, I must say these have to be the most ugly tomato I have ever grown! I have a pic here of the blossom side. They see to crack easily, one had "resealed" or scabbed over, commendable I guess, but am not sure if it would be healthy to eat? The 2 bushes I planted from seed I started, are about 5' tall with good leaf coverage. Have never had any problem with those green hard shell June bugs until they found the first ripe CP! I lost three to them! UGH I whipped out the spray and have not noticed their presence since. Tomatoes are ripening slow here this year. Good News/Bad News not as bloody hot as usual! I am NOT complaining. Am anxious to see how CP yields over the season and how long they will produce since I normaly have tomatoes into the late fall. At this point I am still happy with them but closely watching....

We love the smell, texture and taste of this tomato. It has a perfect balance of meat without being to sloppy wet. Just picking them is a pleasure to my nose!

The conditions must not have been right in my garden for my Cherokee Purple fruit was meaty but bland and tasteless. Probably not enought sun (Only about 6 hours per day). Wish I could taste what others are tasting.

This is a great tomato. I love the color and don't understand those who don't. You did know it was that color when planting it.

The taste is very good and I got lots of production in my Louisiana garden.

If I could only plant one tomato this may be it.

Cherokee Purple grows and produces well in this area. However it is one that you will either hate or love. My wife threatened to leave if I ever brought another one into the house. It tastes like a tomato, but the color is that of raw pork liver. It is just not eye appealing to a lot of folks. Since it is not outstanding in any way but color, I no longer plant it.

Fabulous tomato! First, it grows here. Second, it tastes terrific. I don't get many tomatoes per plant but I love the ones I get. Also, it is now available at our upscale supermarket as an heirloom.

The plant grew well here in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. The fruit were big but there were only a few per plant.

First time for this tomato and I love it. Beautiful, blemish free fruit, wonderful color and great taste. Some comments have indicated disease problems but so far my plant is large and healthy. I will definitely grow this heirloom again next year.

Actually, I buy them from a farmers' market. I have never had a better tomato! We used to grow quite a few in Southern New Jersey, and this is the first West Coast (Marin) fruit I've seen that could rival that product.

I grew this tomato for the first time here in Austin, Texas.
All I can say is that in my humble opinion this is the "Holy Grail" of the tomato kingdom! The flavor brought friend to their knees and cries of "My grandmother's tomatoes live again!" However, I did have some problems. All is not easy when one is on a quest! The plant came down with disease early and since our ag agent was on vacation I could not get an accurate diagnosis. The plant only produced about 2 dozen fruits but boy oh boy were they spectacular in looks and flavor. I intend to try them again next year and want more information on these plants.

This is a hit of the garden in Marin County, CA. Large, great flavored fruit. Dark color is exotic. Have had a bit of trouble with disease, but that may be my fault. Love this tomato.

My second favorite tomato of the 2002 season. Full of flavor that's complex, with a nice texture.

Cherokee Purple is good, but seems somewhat over rated. I thought they were on the dry side when truly ripe and a bit grainy and bland. I may be doing something wrong, but I much prefer Pruden's to this one in a similar category.

Rumored to have been grown by the Cherokee Indians of North Carolina. This is a wonderful all-purpose tomato.Absolutely heavenly sliced,but makes great sauces and salsa too.

Not sweet,but a mixture of spicy tartness that balances well.

One of my favorites.