🍅 Quick take: Sheryl’s Portuguese Red Heart is an uncommon indeterminate oxheart characterized by slender, wispy vines and dense, beaked, dark-red fruits averaging 7 oz (200 g) and up. In cold northern trials (USDA Zones 3b-4), it stood out for rare earliness, fully ripening outdoors in open beds where most heart-shaped heirlooms struggle to finish. Full summary ↓
Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zones 3b-4 Experience)
Sheryl’s Portuguese Red Heart
Pretty rare variety that hasn’t made the rounds widely yet, but I bet it gets popular fast. One big reason: it’s so distinctive that it’s impossible to mistake for anything else. No impostors here.
Sure, it’s a red oxheart, but it stands out from the rest. The fruit shape throws some variation, but the hand-feel, the firmness when fully ripe, and that specific deep dark-red hue can’t be confused with any other line. You get these picture-perfect, slightly flattened dark-red hearts with a prominent pointed beak. Honestly, county fair exhibit quality. Average weight ran about 7 oz (200 g), with several fruits sizing up even bigger.
The undisputed standout feature for me was its earliness. It was one of the very few varieties that fully ripened outside in the open garden. Keep in mind, I’m up in Vologda – any further north and you’re basically hitting the Arctic Ocean. And here I am ripening Portuguese hearts outside!
Yield was impressive, even out in the open patch. The flesh is dense, juicy, with a rich flavor leaning heavily to the sweet side. The vine is on the shorter side for an indet, topping out around 5 ft (1.5 m) in the greenhouse, with a slender, wispy habit.
Turned out to be an absolute rockstar. Just hope I don’t jinx it by praising it too much!
Pretty rare variety that hasn’t made the rounds widely yet, but I bet it gets popular fast. One big reason: it’s so distinctive that it’s impossible to mistake for anything else. No impostors here.
Sure, it’s a red oxheart, but it stands out from the rest. The fruit shape throws some variation, but the hand-feel, the firmness when fully ripe, and that specific deep dark-red hue can’t be confused with any other line. You get these picture-perfect, slightly flattened dark-red hearts with a prominent pointed beak. Honestly, county fair exhibit quality. Average weight ran about 7 oz (200 g), with several fruits sizing up even bigger.
The undisputed standout feature for me was its earliness. It was one of the very few varieties that fully ripened outside in the open garden. Keep in mind, I’m up in Vologda – any further north and you’re basically hitting the Arctic Ocean. And here I am ripening Portuguese hearts outside!
Yield was impressive, even out in the open patch. The flesh is dense, juicy, with a rich flavor leaning heavily to the sweet side. The vine is on the shorter side for an indet, topping out around 5 ft (1.5 m) in the greenhouse, with a slender, wispy habit.
Turned out to be an absolute rockstar. Just hope I don’t jinx it by praising it too much!
This one did great for me as well. Ended up mid-season in my setup – photo was taken on July 27, though our spring got off to a pretty cold, late start this year. Beautiful fruit with that distinct elongated beak.
The flesh is firm and not mealy at all, with very little seed gel. Vine has that typical slender, open oxheart habit. Grew mine in the center row on the east side of the greenhouse.
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The flesh is firm and not mealy at all, with very little seed gel. Vine has that typical slender, open oxheart habit. Grew mine in the center row on the east side of the greenhouse.
Quick Facts: Variety Summary
- 🌿 Plant & Habit: Indeterminate vine with a compact, slender, wispy frame, reaching about 5 ft (1.5 m) in greenhouse cultivation. Non-aggressive foliage allows for tighter row spacing.
- 🍅 Fruit Profile: Distinctive, slightly flattened dark-red hearts sporting a sharp, beaked blossom-end tip. Averages 7 oz (200 g) with larger specimens common. Solid, meaty interior with sparse seeds and minimal gel.
- 📈 Yield & Cold Tolerance: Exceptionally dependable producer. Ripened successfully outdoors in the short, cool summers of Vologda (Zone 3b/4a), making it a rare cold-adapted oxheart.
- 👅 Taste Profile: Sweet-forward, rich, and juicy without being watery or mushy. Great candidate for thick fresh slices and low-water canning sauces.
👨🌾 Editor’s Note: Wispy Vines vs. Cold Performance
Classic European oxhearts (often originating from warm regions like Italy or Portugal) usually feature “wispy” or droopy foliage that looks weak to novice growers. However, their sparse canopies allow maximum sunlight penetration down the stem. This variety’s rare ability to ripen outdoors in far-northern Russia suggests strong cold-set genetics that make it well worth trialing for short-season growers in Maine, Minnesota, or Canada.
Classic European oxhearts (often originating from warm regions like Italy or Portugal) usually feature “wispy” or droopy foliage that looks weak to novice growers. However, their sparse canopies allow maximum sunlight penetration down the stem. This variety’s rare ability to ripen outdoors in far-northern Russia suggests strong cold-set genetics that make it well worth trialing for short-season growers in Maine, Minnesota, or Canada.
🍅 Have you trialed Sheryl’s Portuguese Red Heart? Did your vines finish early in the garden, and did you get those classic beaked tips? Let us know in the comments below!
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