Chocolate Cherry Tomato delivers deep purple-brown fruit packed with robust, complex flavor on highly productive indeterminate vines. These perfectly round cherries grow in generous clusters and mature in 70 to 85 days from transplant, making them a reliable summer staple for gardeners across zones 2 to 11. The plants reach about 5 feet tall and thrive in full sun with moderate water, suited equally to garden beds, raised beds, greenhouses, or containers. Their rich, tangy taste and striking color transform cherry tomato season into something genuinely special.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
2-11
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam With Organic Matter
Preferred Temp65-85°F
Growth Stats
60 in
Height
24 in
Width
24 in
Spacing
70–85
Days to Harvest
PeriodAnnual, Perennial
TypeForb/herb
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
2-11
Size
60in H x 24in W
Growth
Annual, Perennial
Care
High
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Highlights
Deep purple-hued cherries with an exceptionally rich and tangy flavor profile set this variety apart from bright red cherry tomatoes. The fruit cluster heavily on vigorous indeterminate vines, delivering continuous harvests throughout summer. These beauties resist several serious tomato diseases including Fusarium Wilt, Verticillium Wilt, Late Blight, and Tobacco Mosaic Virus, while also tolerating Blossom End Rot. The dark pigmentation signals lycopene concentration and the complicated, robust flavor that darker heirloom tomatoes are prized for.
Common Uses
Chocolate Cherry Tomatoes shine as fresh eating straight from the vine, their complex flavor best appreciated when enjoyed ripe and at room temperature. The jewel-like appearance and deep color make them striking in fresh fruit bowls and summer salads. Their flavor complexity also works well in cooked preparations where the richness can deepen sauces or roasted vegetable dishes.
Growing Timeline
First Bloom
Mid-spring
First Harvest
Mid-summer
Last Harvest
Late Summer
Variety Details
Main Season
Summer/fall BloomCare Instructions
Start Indoors
Start seeds indoors about 10 weeks before your last frost date, sowing them 1/2 inch deep in individual pots of well-drained seed starting mix. Keep soil moist and maintain temperatures around 80 degrees Fahrenheit for best germination. Provide strong light and avoid overwatering, keeping the environment warm but not hot to prevent damping off.
Transplant Outdoors
Transplant outdoors only after all danger of frost has passed and night temperatures consistently reach 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Harden off seedlings gradually by acclimating them to outdoor conditions. Space plants 24 inches apart in full sun, disturbing roots as little as possible during transplanting.
Direct Sow
Seeds can be sown directly outdoors after soil warms and all frost danger passes. Poke seeds 1/2 inch deep into well-worked soil, spacing them 4 to 5 inches apart. Press soil firmly over seeds and keep moist until germination occurs in 8 to 10 days.
Harvesting
Harvest when fruit are fully ripe, displaying their deep purple-brown color. Ripe cherries will yield slightly to gentle pressure. For best flavor, pick fully ripe fruit and do not refrigerate them. If you harvest green fruit, ripen them in a cool, dark area, ensuring they do not touch one another during the ripening process.
Pruning
Because this is an indeterminate variety that grows continuously throughout the season, light pruning of lower leaves after fruit sets can improve air circulation and reduce disease pressure. Remove any damaged or diseased foliage promptly.
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)