Cherokee Purple Beefsteak Tomato
solanum lucopersicum

days to maturity: 85 days
plant spacing: 2 square feet per plant
sunlight requirement: 8 - 14 hours
look out for: These vigorous vines benefit from strong staking or caging.
harvest notes: Pick tomatoes when they are as ripe as possible. They should be fully colored and firm and picked regularly to avoid overloading plants.
season: fall, winter
indeterminate

Cherokee purple is the name of a cultivar of tomato, unusual for the deep purple/red hue of its fruit. It was one of the first of the “black” color group of tomatoes. It is also unusual in being extremely popular for the sake of its flavor, instead of only its unusual color. Cherokee Purple tomatoes are beefsteak in style, with green “shoulders” across the top. They are also notable for having a dense, juicy texture, with small seed locules irregularly scattered throughout the flesh. The comparatively dark interior color is enhanced by the tendency of the seeds to be surrounded by green gel. This cultivar originated with Craig LeHoullier, who claimed it was a century-old cultivar originating with the Cherokee people.