🍅 Quick take: Matt’s Black (Chernyy Metta) is an indeterminate, mid-season dark cocktail cherry originating from the United States (USA). The vigorous vines easily climb to 6.5 ft (2 m), setting generous trusses of round, ~1 oz (25-35 g) large cherries that ripen into a deep, glossy burgundy-brown. Growers highlight its exceptional table quality: thin-skinned, tender, and bursting with sweet, juicy dark-tomato flavor. Full summary ↓
Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zone 4 Experience)
Matt’s Black.
Tall climber reaching 6.5 ft (2 m), very productive variety with mid-season maturity. Fruits are cocktail-sized (large cherry type), perfectly round, and ripen into a rich, deep burgundy shade. Extremely delicious: sweet, juicy, and wonderfully tender.
Full Summary: Vine Habit, Yield, and Flavor Profile
- 🇺🇸 Origin: Developed and stewarded as an open-pollinated dark specialty cherry in the United States (USA).
- 🌿 Plant & Vigor: Vigorous indeterminate climber easily exceeding 6.5 ft (2 m) under greenhouse cover. Benefits from tall stakes or overhead wire support to handle its continuous branching.
- 🍒 Fruit Size & Appearance: Sets generous clusters of round cocktail/large cherry fruits averaging ~1 oz (25-35 g). Colors up to an attractive deep burgundy-mahogany with dark green shoulders that fade as fruit reaches peak ripeness.
- 👅 Flavor & Texture: Tender-skinned, juicy, and rich. Combines the high sugar content of a dessert cherry with the smoky, complex undertones characteristic of full-sized black beefsteaks.
- 🌎 Who Reviewed It: Trialed in the Moscow Region (USDA Zone 4), demonstrating strong cluster set and reliable ripening in short northern summers.
🍅 Grown Matt’s Black? How does its flavor compare to Black Cherry or Chocolate Cherry in your garden? Let us know below!
👨🌾 Editor’s Note: Matt’s Black vs Matt’s Wild Cherry
Heirloom growers often confuse Matt’s Black with the famous Matt’s Wild Cherry. While the latter is a small, pea-sized wild currant tomato (Solanum pimpinellifolium) collected in Hidalgo, Mexico, Matt’s Black is a standard domesticated large cherry/cocktail variety (Solanum lycopersicum) bred in the US. It produces much larger fruit (~1 oz / 25-35 g) with a noticeably thinner skin and the classic rich, sweet-smoky flavor profile found in purple and black heirlooms.
Heirloom growers often confuse Matt’s Black with the famous Matt’s Wild Cherry. While the latter is a small, pea-sized wild currant tomato (Solanum pimpinellifolium) collected in Hidalgo, Mexico, Matt’s Black is a standard domesticated large cherry/cocktail variety (Solanum lycopersicum) bred in the US. It produces much larger fruit (~1 oz / 25-35 g) with a noticeably thinner skin and the classic rich, sweet-smoky flavor profile found in purple and black heirlooms.
