"HEIRLOOM. 85 days. This large dark purple tomato from Tennessee is rumored to have come from Cherokee gardeners. Its flavor is rich and full, and often compared to Brandywine. The flesh is brick-red and very attractive sliced on a plate. Plants make large vines that yield tomatoes fully 5"" across and 3-1/2"" deep. Indeterminate"
Average Customer Rating:
3.8 out of 5
10 of 12 (83%) customers would recommend this product to a friend.
Best Heirloom,
January 17, 2009 Submitted bymoosemom from SE Georgia
"I grew only Heirloom tomatoes in summer of 2008 and this was the best tasting of all. They were nice palm (ladies) size tomatoes; good for sandwiches and salads. Meat is firm and not mushy or grainy and loaded the taste of the old fashion tomatoes. I recommend growing in pots due to the suspectibility of the Wilt."
Reviewer Information
Would recommend: Yes
Type of gardening:
Containers
Gardening skill:
Very skilled
State of residence:
GA
Types of plants:
Vegetables
Gardening experience:
10+ years
Few and small,
August 1, 2008 Submitted byTiller from Long Island
"Real bad year for Brandywine and the purple cherokee tomato. I have a well prepared garden in which they produce few fruit and unhealthy plants. Other tomato's that are planted in the same garden are thriving. Razzle-dazzle, Rutgers, Black Krim and Honeybunch are outstanding."
Reviewer Information
Would recommend: No
Type of gardening:
Large Garden
Gardening skill:
Moderately skilled
State of residence:
NY
Types of plants:
Vegetables
Gardening experience:
10+ years
BEST TASTE EVER but a lackluster producer,
May 31, 2008 Submitted byGardeningLawyer from Washington, GA
"I grew an astonishing 27 types of heirloom tomatoes last year, my first year with a "real" veggie garden. (Yes, I over did it.) That said, it gave my family an astonishing variety of heirloom tomatoes to taste test. All of our family, friends and neighbors agreed that the Cherokee Purple was the hands down best tasting tomato (followed by a yellow-red variety, Copia, which I have been told is a "new heirloom", i.e., that it breeds true from its seed).
Unfortunately, compared to most other tomatoes (even other heirlooms) the Cherokee purple produces very few tomatoes. Only the Brandywine produced fewer for me. We cherished every tomato, but if you want to have any tomatoes to can or freeze, be sure to plant a few other types as well. Amish paste, mortgage lifter, Copia plus any of the hybrids are all bigger producers. You should grow Cherokee purple (or its cousin, Cherokee chocolate), but just be prepared for the low productivity."
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
Reviewer Information
Would recommend: Yes
Type of gardening:
Small Garden
Gardening skill:
Beginner
State of residence:
GA
Types of plants:
Vegetables
Gardening experience:
1-5 years
My weakest variety,
April 25, 2008 Submitted byLycopersiconlover from Central New Jersey
"Im growing 21 varieties of burpee tomatoes from seed. Theyre all about 3 months old. Cherokee purple seems to be the weekest link! They are so itty bitty! I hope they can grow fast enough to produce for me!"
Reviewer Information
Would recommend: Yes
Type of gardening:
Large Garden
Gardening skill:
Very skilled
State of residence:
NJ
Types of plants:
Vegetables
Gardening experience:
10+ years
Not a heavy producer....,
January 28, 2008 Submitted byTomatoBug from Mount Upton, NY
"Cherokee Purple was one of the oddest tomoatoes in the garden. The plants gre strong and there were lots of blossoms. But, the plant itself was not a heavy producer. I received very few tomatoes and they were cracked and mis-shapen. They tasted good though."
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Reviewer Information
Would recommend: Yes
Type of gardening:
Large Garden
Gardening skill:
Very skilled
State of residence:
NY
Types of plants:
Vegetables
Gardening experience:
10+ years
You must plant this!!!,
November 4, 2007 Submitted byLakeErieGarden from Lorain, OH
"Can't even begin to describe how good this tomato is. I pretty much only grow heirlooms now with exception of some new hybrids Burpee comes out with. This tomato, although not pretty, has a taste that defines what a tomato is supposed to taste like. You will not have the productivity of the hybrids, but for the taste, save these for yourself."
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
Reviewer Information
Would recommend: Yes
Type of gardening:
Small Garden
Gardening skill:
Moderately skilled
State of residence:
OH
Types of plants:
Vegetables
Gardening experience:
5-10 years
good tomato,
April 9, 2007 Submitted byTheBestSoil from On The Lake
Plant performance:
3
out of 5
Taste:
5
out of 5
Yield:
4
out of 5
"Grew this first time 2006 season. I had four plants. I wouldn't really say they are harder to grow, but they didn't yield as much as the Brandywine (four plants also). The purple ones do have better taste. In late August was my best picking of these, had enough to slice - the extra ones I made a batch of sauce had to use some Big Mama's so I had a full pan (12qts) Awsome color, great taste, not acidy, and the sauce didn't seem any thinner then normal. I figgured these tomatos might make a watery sauce."
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Reviewer Information
Would recommend: Yes
Type of gardening:
Large Garden
Gardening skill:
Very skilled
State of residence:
OH
Types of plants:
Vegetables
Gardening experience:
10+ years
May be better than Brandywine,
February 14, 2007 Submitted byTomatodog from Lorain, OH
Plant performance:
3
out of 5
Taste:
5
out of 5
Yield:
3
out of 5
"Planted this from the seeds along with about 5-6 other heirlooms to taste test. I really think this was the best. Deep, deep rich flavor. No it isn't pretty and does not yield like the Celebrity but tastes 10 times better than my favorite new generation tomato. Twice as good as Brandywine."
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.
Reviewer Information
Would recommend: Yes
Type of gardening:
Large Garden
Gardening skill:
Moderately skilled
State of residence:
OH
Types of plants:
Vegetables
Gardening experience:
5-10 years
Wonderful flavor,
August 23, 2006 Submitted byErika from Columbus, OH
Plant performance:
3
out of 5
Taste:
5
out of 5
Yield:
3
out of 5
"Cherokee purples are my current favorite tomato. They taste absoluely wonderful, with a slightly darker, richer flavor than many. They make a killer tomato tart.
The downside to this variety is that it seems to be pretty picky about water and nutrient requirements, and it isn't the prettiest of tomatoes. I grow them anyway because they taste so good."
Reviewer Information
Would recommend: Yes
Type of gardening:
Large Garden
Gardening skill:
Very skilled
State of residence:
OH
Types of plants:
Vegetables
Gardening experience:
5-10 years
every tomato i got was treasured,
August 14, 2006 Submitted byrooftopgardener from Arlington, VA/Washington, D.C.
Plant performance:
2
out of 5
Taste:
5
out of 5
Yield:
2
out of 5
"This plant had more disease, blossom drop, cracked fruit than any of our other varieties but i loved the flavor so much that I will most definitely plant it again. Since I started it from seed, I had a handful of other cherokee purples that performed better for other gardeners."
Reviewer Information
Would recommend: Yes
Type of gardening:
Small Garden
Gardening skill:
Beginner
State of residence:
VA
Types of plants:
Vegetables
Gardening experience:
0-1 years
Cherokee Purple,
August 7, 2006 Submitted byJRM44 from Chattanooga, TN
Plant performance:
5
out of 5
Taste:
5
out of 5
Yield:
4
out of 5
"My brother raved about these tomatoes after growing them last year. This year he gave me 3 plants that he started. It was near the end of May before I planted them in my small raised bed.
The plants have flourished very well, but have never gotten too tall (about 4' to 5'). It is now the first week of August and they are still nice and green. I have not seen any disease or insect problems, I have never even had to spray them with anything. The lower leaves have not even started to yellow or wither.
I got my first ripe tomatoes about the 3rd week of July. The first few from each plant were a little mishapen (I think this was caused by the conical shaped wire cage restricting them). It took a few to figure out the best time to harvest them, it seems if you wait for the shoulders to turn completely, the rest of the tomato is too ripe. I have started picking them when the shoulder is just barely still a little green.
The size and taste of these tomatoes has been excellent. They are not exactly round, kind of oblong kidney shaped (wider than tall), but are dense and heavy! The taste is excellent, they are very meaty like a Beefstake tomato. The skin seems a little thick, but I have always preferred to peel and slice my tomatoes for eating.
I had 4 green ones fall off after I had to straighten the plants & cages back up from a severe storm (this was before I got my first ripe one). I couldn't resist and prepared some fried green tomaotes with them. They were excellent like that as well.
I would say the yield is slightly less than from the hybridized tomatoes I have grown before. Instead of getting 6 or 8 ripe tomatoes at a time (total from 3 plants), with these I get 2 to 3 ripe ones at a time.
I will definitely grow these again next year. This is the first year I have ever taken pictures of my tomato plants and shown them off! I even broke down and gave a few tomatoes away to neighbors and friends (I usually always do this). Everyone has loved them."
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.
Reviewer Information
Would recommend: Yes
Type of gardening:
Small Garden
Gardening skill:
Very skilled
State of residence:
TN
Types of plants:
Vegetables
Gardening experience:
10+ years
Small Tomatoes,
August 3, 2006 Submitted byMoonshine from North East, MD
Plant performance:
2
out of 5
Yield:
3
out of 5
"I tried these to add some color into my garden but when the fruit grew the tomatoes were small and practicaly useless. They grew in misformed shapes and had lots of cracks in them. A good thing though is that they grew plentiful, unfortunately they were the least appetizing tomatoes I've ever seen so I never tasted them."
0 of 5 people found this review helpful.
Reviewer Information
Would recommend: No
Type of gardening:
Small Garden
Gardening skill:
Beginner
State of residence:
MD
Types of plants:
Vegetables
Gardening experience:
1-5 years
