Tomato, Cherokee Purple

Solanum lycopersicum

Indescribably delicious slicing tomato, deep maroon in color. One of our favorites.

Gardener and tomato lover Craig LeHoullier received seeds for this wonderful heirloom in the mail from one John Green, who claimed the variety had been in his neighbor's Tennessee family for over 100 years and was reportedly given to them from a Cherokee farmer. He grew the tomato, fell in love with its dusky purple flesh and divine, rich flavor, perfect for slicing and sauces, and shared it with several regional seed companies, where it spread rapidly due to its scrumptiousness.

Tomatoes are native to northwestern South America and by at least 500 BC they had been domesticated and were being cultivated as far north as modern-day Mexico, enjoyed by Aztec and other civilizations. They spread to Europe and the Caribbean through the Spanish colonizers, where they became staple parts of the food culture in many European countries as well. 

Indeterminate potato-leaf type. Open-pollinated.

Seeds grown by Swift River Farm in Salmon, Idaho.

30 seeds.

Directions: Start indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost and transplant out after. Bury past first set of leaves, add eggshells to soil for calcium, and provide support.