Lycopersicon, Cherry Tomato 'Black Cherry'
Lycopersicon lycopersicum
Family: | Solanaceae (so-lan-AY-see-ee) (Info) |
Genus: | Lycopersicon (ly-koh-PER-see-kon) (Info) |
Species: | lycopersicum (ly-koh-PER-see-kum) (Info) |
Cultivar: | Black Cherry |
Height:
6-8 ft. (1.8-2.4 m)
8-10 ft. (2.4-3 m)
Spacing:
24-36 in. (60-90 cm)
Sun Exposure:
Full Sun
Danger:
Parts of plant are poisonous if ingested
Seed Collecting:
Allow unblemished fruit to ripen; clean and dry seeds
Ferment seeds before storing
Properly cleaned, seed can be successfully stored
Growing Habit:
Indeterminate
Fruit Shape:
Cherry
Fruit Size:
Small (grape/cherry varieties)
Days to Maturity:
Mid (69-80 days)
Fruit Colors:
Black
Seed Type:
Open-pollinated
Usage:
Fresh, salad
Disease Resistance:
Leaf Type:
Regular Leaf
Foliage Color:
Bloom Characteristics:
Water Requirements:
Where to Grow:
Regional
This plant is said to grow outdoors in the following regions:
Marana, Arizona
Queen Creek, Arizona
Springdale, Arkansas
Chowchilla, California
Davis, California
Fresno, California
Fullerton, California
Lakewood, California
Mountain View, California
Orangevale, California
Richmond, California
San Jose, California
San Luis Obispo, California
Ukiah, California
Clinton, Connecticut
Hebron, Connecticut
Southington, Connecticut
Clearwater, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Melbourne Beach, Florida
Port Saint Lucie, Florida
Quincy, Florida
Bonaire, Georgia
Dacula, Georgia
Jasper, Georgia
Roswell, Georgia
Bushnell, Illinois
Indianapolis, Indiana
Harlan, Iowa
Chanute, Kansas
Kansas City, Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas
Shawnee Mission, Kansas
Barbourville, Kentucky
Brodhead, Kentucky
Fort Thomas, Kentucky
Hopkinsville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Ellsworth, Maine
Agawam, Massachusetts
Redford, Michigan
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota(2 reports)
Marshfield, Missouri
Moberly, Missouri
Omaha, Nebraska(2 reports)
Espanola, New Mexico
Carmel, New York
Horseheads, New York
North Tonawanda, New York
Pittsford, New York
Slingerlands, New York
Black Mountain, North Carolina
Fuquay Varina, North Carolina
Wake Forest, North Carolina
Belfield, North Dakota
Willoughby, Ohio
Aston, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Lexington, South Carolina
North Sioux City, South Dakota
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Knoxville, Tennessee
Austin, Texas
Canyon, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas(2 reports)
Houston, Texas
Hutto, Texas
Irving, Texas
Pflugerville, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
Midvale, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Sandy, Utah
Alexandria, Virginia
Radford, Virginia
Weyers Cave, Virginia
Richland, Washington
University Place, Washington
Rock Springs, Wyoming
show allGardeners' Notes:
Rating | Content |
---|---|
Neutral | On Nov 24, 2021, jann1033 from Kirtland Hills, OH wrote: Huge healthy productive plants up until mid November. Draw back was inconsistent flavor. Imo had to be dead ripe to be tasty at all and boring during early and late sets so too small and watery to cook with, inconsistent for fresh eating, not worth the space. Sun gold flavor blows these out of the water in flavor |
Positive | On May 7, 2021, saya from Heerlen, Creator or actually finder (it came from a natural cross) of this tomato is Vince Sapp (USA). Introduced in 2003. |
Positive | On Apr 14, 2021, CaliforniaGuy from Lakewood, CA wrote: This is tied with sungold as one of my favorite cherry tomatoes. Good looking and somewhat unique tasting fruit. |
Positive | On Aug 13, 2019, StarGrower from Fresno, CA wrote: Very prolific and great tasting tomato. Will definitely plant next year! |
Positive | On Sep 26, 2018, KevinMiller from Winnipeg, MB (Zone 3a) wrote: 2018 was my first year growing Black Cherry. A friend grew it for the first time in 2017 and saved some seeds for me. All 10 of my open-pollinated hierloom tomato varieties did well this year, but Black Cherry did exceptionally well: vigorous/healthy/very-high-yield plants, and the fruit was very large for a cherry tomato (2cm to 3 cm diameter) ... and very tasty. A+ |
Positive | On Jul 2, 2018, will335 from San Antonio, TX wrote: Very good tasting tomatoes, does well in Texas heat. |
Positive | On Nov 13, 2014, decherdt from Fort Worth, TX (Zone 8a) wrote: Our third year with these. Big plants with big purple cherry tomatoes. Have trialed dozens of OP and a few F1 cherry types, but these are the favorite out of them all. These are on our "plant every year" list |
Positive | On Sep 15, 2014, BetsyKeep from Ellsworth, ME wrote: These have been a delight! I have them growing in planters in front of my west facing windows as a natural awning. I tied them as they grew and they are now up to the gutters and covered with beautiful fruits. The flavor is great and my friends love getting goodie boxes with them.They make for a beautiful salad when combined with green zebras and golden cherries. |
Positive | On Aug 25, 2014, ocean_314 from Ukiah, CA wrote: Huge plant, getting close to ten feet tall. Very productive with good tasting tomatoes. Second in our tastes to sweet million for cherry tomatoes. |
Neutral | On Aug 21, 2014, CalgaryGardener from Calgary, AB (Zone 3a) wrote: i must be one of the ones that got the bad batch, the fruit i grew were bland in flavour and have been for several years. i finally decided to quit growing them. |
Positive | On Aug 19, 2014, grik from Saint Paul, MN wrote: I grow this tomato every year. It's my favorite: productive, tasty, and generally care free. |
Positive | On May 18, 2014, elsutor from Penn Hills, PA wrote: Big monster of a plant, with dark, iridescent plumes of tomatoes in late summer. In my garden production seemed to start a little late for a cherry, but likely that is because of this variety's long germination time-- nearly 2 weeks beyond all of the other tomatoes I sprouted (32 varieties this year, and more last year). I have tried seeds from two different sources and had the same experience both times. I plan to start these earlier than the rest next year. |
Positive | On Jun 16, 2013, livinonfaith from Fuquay Varina, NC wrote: This one survived my disease riddled NC garden last year and was invited back this year. It wasn't disease proof, mind you! But even with having to constantly pick off yellowed and dead leaves and branches, it kept on plugging until frost. That's more than I can say for most of the others. |
Positive | On Mar 17, 2013, Bigfeet from Tullahoma, TN (Zone 7a) wrote: I grew Black Cherry from seed one year (I moved the next year) in Knoxville, TN. Soil was a slightly raised bed, TN clay tilled with sand and depleted potting soil, and generously amended every fall with leaf mulch and livestock manure, and treated with lime early in the year to correct pH. |
Positive | On Mar 11, 2013, CommonCents from North, GA (Zone 7b) wrote: I grew this in 2012. I only had 1 vine at start of year, grew another by rooting a sucker from the first. Both produced lots and lots of tomatoes. The vines got huge, too. The first one was close to the railing on the front porch steps, and once it grew out the top of the tomato cage I had it in, it continued growing. I tied it off gently to the porch steps railing and the porch railing and columns. It almost reached the roof of the porch. It was easily 12 feet high, and across more than 8 feet of stair railing and porch railing, with tomatoes growing everywhere. Awesome tomatoes. Great flavor. The were great fresh in salads and I even used them in some other recipes (in with pasta dishes with other veggies they were very good). I'll be growing 3 vines of this variety in 2013. They also ... read more |
Negative | On Dec 1, 2012, cowgirlamy from North Tonawanda, NY wrote: Ive grown these a number of years. Buying plants from a local nursery. This year they were unable to get them. My garden isnt complete without it. I love them. Off another site i bought plants and they tasted like yuck. |
Positive | On Sep 8, 2012, dealfinder500 from (Zone 5b) wrote: I planted these from seed, and after giving away some plants and (accidentally) killing others... I had one plant to plant. |
Positive | On Jul 31, 2012, Calalily from Deep South Coastal, TX (Zone 10a) wrote: One of my favorite large cherry tomatoes and also a favorite of our market customers. Produces year round in south TX. |
Positive | On Jul 23, 2012, OMG2012 from Chowchilla, CA wrote: I thought the flavor was great, not terribly productive, until I noticed all the green on my Golden Retrievers face. He confirmed it, picks this one over 4 other varieties. Very sweet, good balance of juice and meaty flesh. Don't expect it to get red, more brown/greenish...still very tasty! |
Positive | On Jul 15, 2012, Pitcom from Avondale, PA (Zone 6b) wrote: This is quite simply one of the best tasting tomatoes I have ever eaten. It grows large so be sure to cage it well. It also sets an incredible amount of fruit. For me, it blows Sungold and just about every other cherry tomato out of the water in terms of flavor. The taste is rich and earthy without any bitter or acidic undertones. Even through this difficult summer of drought and 100+ temps, it has produced extremely well. |
Positive | On May 26, 2012, Ltcolumbo wrote: A wonderful tomato, rich and deep flavor. Did better outdoor than in the greenhouse, best tasting cherry tomato, (rivals the snow white), not quite as sweet as the snow white but richer, thiner skin. |
Positive | On Dec 18, 2011, donnyczech from Sioux Falls, SD (Zone 4b) wrote: The plant was not as monstrous as other cherry types, but the flavor was excellent. Along with the icicle types, it was the family favorite. |
Positive | On Jul 31, 2011, jarretlobb from Pittsford, NY (Zone 5b) wrote: First year growing this Tomato: transplanted Memorial Day weekend, harvested half a dozen last week and more than a dozen today. The plant is almost 6 ft. tall with lots of fruit that taste great. Not sure if this is candy or fruit. Will definitely plan or it again next year. Fruits average an ounce are larger than my SunGolds, and about 10days slower to harvest, less prolific and , I think, tastier. |
Neutral | On Jul 16, 2011, Californian from Fullerton, CA wrote: Either there is a bad batch of Black Cherry seeds being distributed or the genes have mutated because a lot of posters on the gardenweb tomato forum, including myself, are reporting disappointment with Black Cherry. Last year for sure I had some bad seeds as the tomatoes produced weren't even round and tasted terrible. I ordered seeds from different supplier and this time the tomatoes were round, but not as sweet as some other cherry tomatoes. However if one lets the fruit get really ripe the flavor improves as the season progresses. The plant itself is large and vigorous. The tomatoes also take a long time to ripen compared to other cherry tomatoes. |
Positive | On Jul 31, 2010, Kim_M from Hamburg, PA (Zone 6b) wrote: Extremely Productive and frankly the Best tasting tomato I've ever eaten. |
Positive | On Jul 13, 2010, pupsicle from Davis, CA wrote: This is my new favorite tomato. My one plant is EXTREMELY productive, though the fruit are a little slower to ripen than my Sungolds and SuperSweet 100s. The flavor is outstanding -- very sweet, a little tangy, with a tender skin. |
Positive | On Dec 20, 2009, azruss from Marana, AZ (Zone 8b) wrote: Plants are strong and large and the fruits are beautiful and out-of-this-world delicious. Production was quite low, but that might be the fault of a somewhat late start combined with the 4th hottest (and early) Tucson summer on record. The tomatoes, though, were so tasty I'm willing to try again next spring. |
Positive | On Nov 24, 2009, jimh6278 from Salt Lake City, UT wrote: I got my seeds from tomatofest and as always had good germination. The plant was strong and vigorous. Like most cherry tomatoes very prolific. I found the skins thick but when you bit into the fruit the flavor exploded in your mouth. I gave plants to 2 friends and we all agree that this is a keeper. All of us will grow these again. |
Positive | On Aug 5, 2009, SLO_Garden from San Luis Obispo, CA wrote: Black Cherry has an excellent, sweet flavor typical of a black tomato. Unlike other cherry tomatoes, Black Cherry was not very high yielding for me. The plant gets very tall and sprawling and starts producing early. I would grow it again simply for flavor, but I wish it had better production. |
Positive | On Jun 5, 2009, betta5 from Gainesville, FL wrote: I grew black cherry for the first time this year. WONDERFUL flavor. I will definitely grow this one again next year. Very prolific with lots of tomatoes. It is still setting fruit in early June. The drawbacks are that the plant does not seem to be all that disease resistant and attracts white flies and aphids more than the other types I am growing this year and the plant has some sort of black disease that slowly creeps up the stems and causes the leaves to turn dark brown and die. So far removing the dying leaves has kept the plant going. It is possible this is a combo of the early Florida rains (2 weeks straight, not good for disease) and the fact that I only had one plant...it could have just been weaker. I still have to give a positive though for absolute excellent flavor and its prol... read more |
Positive | On Sep 3, 2008, notthefunkind wrote: i am in love with this tomato! this the 3rd year in a row i have tried to grow it, the first two attempts being failures (no fault of the tomato). i can't tell you how glad i am that i didn't give up. i've never tasted a tomato like this one. it is now my favorite all time cherry beating sungold hands down. it's also one of the most vigorous plants in my garden and the tallest. it's easily 10 feet tall and still growing. i will grow this tomato every year but from now on i will grow at least five times as many of these amazing plants. |
Positive | On Aug 20, 2008, Joan from Belfield, ND (Zone 4a) wrote: I tasted this tomato for the first time last year (07), and I loved them. I grew them for the first time this year (08) and they are performing 2nd best in my garden as far as earliness, production and vigor. They are second only to 'Sungold' |
Neutral | On Jul 10, 2008, dreaves from Hutto, TX (Zone 8b) wrote: Not as prolific as the hybrid cherry tomatoes. It was much harder for me to identify when fully ripe. As a result, the flavor was not exceptional. I probably won't grow this one again, but will try something else. |
Positive | On Jun 22, 2008, browniiz from Black Mountain, NC (Zone 7a) wrote: I planted Black Cherry last year for the first time. We were totally impressed with it. We had tons of tiny, tasty tomatoes to munch on as we did our daily gardening. My 3 year old grandaughter can't wait for them to ripen so she can start picking and eating them again this year. |
Neutral | On Jun 19, 2008, deuteros from Roswell, GA (Zone 7b) wrote: I grew this for the first time this year. I was disappointed with the flavor as I found it to be a kind of bland. There wasn't much acidity at all. It also didn't seem as productive as other cherry types I've grown. I might have to see if the next batch from this plant tastes any better. |
Positive | On Jan 14, 2008, ddrsheden from Bushnell, IL wrote: Always willing to try an odd variety of tomato, I came acrossed this variety at a nursery my area. I loved the taste, it was one of the sweetest tomatoes I have ever tasted. Being dark, mine were about the color of a Washington or Bing Cherry, friends were a little leary about giving it a taste. They also loved the flavor. This variety will be in my garden this year and years to come. |
Positive | On Nov 3, 2007, kygreg2000 from Hopkinsville, KY wrote: 2007 was first time to grow; very productive and good taste |
Neutral | On Jul 23, 2006, dlnevins from Omaha, NE wrote: Lovely color and very crack-resistant fruit, but I've found the flavor to be blander than I expected. |
Positive | On Feb 5, 2006, MichaelBates from Lawrence, KS (Zone 6a) wrote: Very prolific cherry tomatoe that our customers swear has a hint of cherry flavor. |
Positive | On Jan 18, 2006, Suze_ from (Zone 7b) wrote: I really enjoyed this variety in '05 and am growing again. Yummy (great depth of flavor) and nice coloration both whole and cut in half. |
Positive | On Jan 6, 2006, Zeppy from Shenandoah Valley, VA (Zone 6b) wrote: Fine flavor, not as prone to splitting as some other cherries. Very very prolific. Several people have asked me for seeds or seedlings of this particular cultivar. And boy does it look lovely in a bowl of red and golden cherries. |
Positive | On Sep 23, 2005, oldetowne from Southington, CT wrote: I tried Black Cherry for the first time this year and my wife fell in love with the taste. Very good production, although we did experience an unexplained lull in late August when the ripening simply halted. It has since resumed and continues to make everyone happy. |
Positive | On Sep 5, 2005, Sequee from Carmel, NY (Zone 6b) wrote: Fabulous liittle tomato. Gorgeous, juicy, and very sweet! |
Positive | On Aug 29, 2005, RickardE from Goshen, IN (Zone 6a) wrote: An early maturing variety. Very prolific. I picked them when they were red, green and purple. The inside of it is predominantly purple. They look great and have been thoroughly enjoyed by all who have tried them. Slightly larger than cherry tomotoes. |
Neutral | On Dec 27, 2004, Big_Red from Bethelridge, KY (Zone 6a) wrote: Very pretty black cherries. Medium size. Super flavor. |