Cherokee Purple Tomato
Table of Contents
Introducing the Cherokee Purple Tomato
The Cherokee purple tomato is an old Cherokee heirloom pre-1890 variety. The skin boasts of a beautiful, deep, dusky purple-pink color, and superb smoky and sweet flavor. Cherokee purple tomatoes have very-large-sized fruit. Perfect as a slicing tomato but can be made into sauces.
History of the Cherokee Purple Tomato
The history of the Cherokee Purple tomato began over a hundred years ago but didn’t become widely known until the 1990s. In 1990 John Green of Sevierville, Tennessee mailed heirloom tomato expert Craig LeHoullier seeds of an unnamed purple tomato. Green said that the tomato had originated with the Cherokee more than 100 years prior.
LeHoullier named the tomato “Cherokee Purple” and sent seeds to the Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. Jeff McCormack, the owner of Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, said that the tomato “tasted fine, but was kind of ugly, people may not like it.” Southern Exposure Seed Exchange featured the Cherokee Purple in the 1993 seed catalog.
LeHoullier distributed Cherokee Purple seeds to several market growers. Alex Hitt, who lived in North Carolina, had immediate success growing and selling the tomato despite its ugly appearance. The tomato was described “as looking like a leg bruise.” Which is hilarious because I think it is quite beautiful!
In 2014, Cherokee Purple was named one of the top ten tomato heirloom varieties by the Seed Savers Exchange. You can find an in-depth article with this information from NPR.
Plant Profile
| Type | Indeterminate |
| Maturity | 80 Days |
| Light Requirements | Full Sun |
| Seeds Sprout | 7-14 Days |
| Ideal Temperature | 75-95 Degrees F / 23-35 Degrees C |
| Seed Depth | 1/8 in / 2.54 cm |
| Plant Spacing | 24 in / 60 cm |
| Frost Hardy | No |
| Latin Name | Solanum lycopersicum |
Tomato Resources
- Beginners Guide for Tomatoes From Plant Starts/ Seedlings
- The Art of Growing Tomatoes From Seed
- 5 Tomato Mistakes to Avoid
- History of Tomatoes
Thank you for meeting me AT FORESTS EDGE. Where I grow food for my family and share my insights with you. I would love for you to join me on this journey, and subscribe to my newsletter where I share encouragement throughout the year as we GROW HOPE!
Until we meet again,
Raeanna
Raeanna
Raeanna loves her home AT FORESTS EDGE. Cultivating life with a big family in America. Where the fantastic stories romanticized in times past meet the cold reality of a busy world. Divergent from current societal ideals, stepping towards a new hope, and a future!
