📋 Key Characteristics
- Scientific Name: Solanum lycopersicum
- Plant Type: Annual
- Variety Type: Heirloom
- Growth Habit: Indeterminate
- Mature Size: 4–6 ft tall, 2–3 ft spread
- Fruit Type: Slicer
- Fruit/Flower Description: Dusky rose to deep reddish-purple fruits with green shoulders and rich mahogany flesh; sweet, earthy aroma
- Fruit Size and Weight: 10–16 oz, often larger—bring both hands for these beauties!
- Days to Germination: 6–10 days
- Days to Maturity/Harvest: 75–85 days
- Hardiness Zones: 4–11 (grown as an annual)
- Ideal Growing Temperature: 70–85°F (21–29°C)
- Lowest Survivable Temperature: 35°F (1.6°C)—these tomatoes don’t like to chill, literally!
🌞 Growing Information
- Sunlight Requirements: Full sun (6–8 hours daily—sunbathers, unite!)
- Ideal Soil Type: Rich, well-drained loamy soil with plenty of organic matter
- Watering Needs: Moderate but consistent—keep that soil evenly moist, not soggy
- Spacing: 24–36 inches apart
- Planting Depth: 1/4 inch deep for seeds; bury transplants up to the first set of true leaves
- Ideal Planting Time: After the last frost—don’t let your tomatoes catch a cold!
🌼 Planting & Care Tips
Stake ‘em, cage ‘em, or trellis ‘em—Cherokee Purple tomatoes grow like they mean it! Prune lightly for better airflow and to channel energy into fruit production. Feed with a balanced organic fertilizer every 2–3 weeks. Mulch to retain moisture and prevent those pesky soil-splashing diseases. Watch for tomato hornworms (they’re leaf-munching freeloaders), and squish them if they show up—or recruit some garden-friendly parasitic wasps to do the dirty work.
Pro Tip: If your tomato seems a little too quiet… it might just be plotting a flavor takeover. 🍅😏
🥗 Culinary or Ornamental Uses
This tomato is a rockstar at the dinner table. Its deep, smoky sweetness and rich umami flavor have made it a favorite in blind taste tests across the country. The texture is meaty and juicy, ideal for slicing thick onto burgers, layering in caprese stacks, or simply eating with a sprinkle of salt and a goofy grin.
Tomato sandwiches? Prepare for a flavor mic drop.
Pasta sauces? It’ll sauce like a boss.
Tomato jokes? You ketchup eventually.
📌 Companion Plants & Recommendations
Pair Cherokee Purple with basil (a classic duo), borage (brings in pollinators), or marigolds (ward off nematodes with flair). Grab one of our Eggdrasil tomato cages or organic compost blends to give this heirloom the royal treatment it deserves.
Final pun: Don’t be shy—let this tomato vine its way into your heart!
🔖 Keywords & Tags
heirloom tomato, Cherokee Purple, slicing tomato, purple tomato, indeterminate, juicy, rich flavor, sweet, earthy, full sun, warm season, beginner-friendly, raised beds, container gardening, organic gardening, summer harvest, tomato sandwich, caprese, unique color
📍 Local Pickup Information
Cherokee Purple Tomato seedlings are only available for local pickup in Jonesboro, GA. We pack each plant with love and care—no jostled jungle here! Swing by and join our quirky neighborhood gardening fam. We promise we’re rooting for you!
