VegetableTomato
Cherokee Purple Tomato
Beefsteak Tomato
Cherokee Purple stands as perhaps the most legendary of all heirloom tomatoes, with a story that reaches back over a century to the Cherokee nation. This indeterminate variety produces massive 10-ounce fruits with stunning deep reddish-purple coloration and distinctive dark shoulders. Taking 80 days from transplant to harvest, it thrives in zones 3-10 and delivers the complex, smoky-sweet flavor that made it famous when tomato enthusiast Craig LeHoullier reintroduced it to the world in the 1990s.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
3-10
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam With Organic Matter
Preferred Temp70-85°F
Growth Stats
60 in
Height
—
Width
24 in
Spacing
80–80
Days to Harvest
PeriodAnnual, Perennial
TypeForb/herb
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
3-10
Size
60in H x ?in W
Growth
Annual, Perennial
Care
High
Hover over chart points for details
Highlights
Cherokee Purple captivates with its extraordinary appearance and legendary taste that seems to embody the very essence of summer. The large beefsteak-style fruits display a mesmerizing deep reddish-purple hue with darker marbled shoulders, creating an almost mystical beauty in the garden. Its complex flavor profile balances sweet and acidic notes with distinctive smoky undertones that have earned it a devoted following among tomato connoisseurs. This vigorous indeterminate variety produces continuously throughout the season, delivering both visual drama and exceptional culinary performance.
Common Uses
Cherokee Purple excels as a premium slicing tomato, perfect for sandwiches where its dense, meaty texture and complex flavor truly shine. Its large size and rich taste make it ideal for fresh eating, whether sliced thick for BLTs or featured in caprese salads where its unusual coloring creates visual drama. The variety's substantial flesh and balanced acidity also make it suitable for canning and sauce-making, though its distinctive dark color will alter the appearance of preserved products.
Growing Timeline
First Bloom
60-70 Days After Sowing
First Harvest
80 Days After Transplanting
Last Harvest
Indeterminate - Until Frost
Care Instructions
Start Indoors
Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost date, sowing 1/4 inch deep in well-draining seed starting mix. Maintain germination temperatures between 75-85°F with moderate moisture. At the first true leaf stage, transplant to larger pots or cell trays and grow at constant 60-70°F with complete fertilizer and supplemental lighting to prevent stretching.
Transplant Outdoors
Transplant outdoors after the last frost date when soil has warmed to at least 60°F. Harden off seedlings gradually over a week before transplanting. Plant deeply to encourage adventitious rooting, burying up to the top two sets of leaves. Water with high-phosphate fertilizer solution at planting to boost early yields.
Harvesting
Harvest when fruits display their characteristic deep reddish-purple color with darker shoulders and yield slightly to gentle pressure. The tomatoes should develop their distinctive complex aroma when fully ripe. Using clean, sharp shears, cut the stem leaving a small portion attached to prevent damage. Cherokee Purple continues producing throughout the season, so harvest selectively as fruits ripen to encourage continuous production.
Pruning
As an indeterminate variety, Cherokee Purple benefits from regular pruning to maintain manageable size and improve air circulation. Remove suckers that develop between main stems and branches, and prune lower leaves once plants reach about 24 inches high. Consider topping plants once they outgrow their support system to make harvesting easier.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Pests & Diseases
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
Solanum lycopersicum L.
Family
Solanaceae
Genus
Solanum
Duration
Annual, Perennial
Growth Habit
Indeterminate
Native Status
L48 (I)AK (I)HI (I)PR (I)VI (I)CAN (W)
History & Origin
“Cherokee Purple carries one of the most compelling origin stories in the tomato world. For nearly a century, this variety was passed down through generations within the Cherokee tribe, its seeds carefully preserved as a treasured heritage. In 1990, John Green of Tennessee shared seeds with Craig LeHoullier, a Seed Saver's Exchange member and tomato expert, along with a note explaining that his neighbors had received the variety from Cherokee tribal members around 100 years prior. LeHoullier recognized its exceptional qualities and worked with Southern Exposure Seed Exchange and Johnny's Selected Seeds to make it commercially available, naming it Cherokee Purple in honor of its origins. The variety had been nearly forgotten for a century before its triumphant return in the 1990s, and it has since become one of the most beloved heirloom tomatoes in America, even earning a place in Slow Food USA's Ark of Taste.”