{"id":2240,"date":"2026-09-11T17:58:22","date_gmt":"2026-09-11T17:58:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/?p=2240"},"modified":"2026-09-11T18:01:24","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T18:01:24","slug":"cherokee-purple","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/cherokee-purple\/","title":{"rendered":"Cherokee Purple Tomato Reviews"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"tldr-box\" style=\"background: #f4f9f4; padding: 20px; border-left: 5px solid #4CAF50; margin-bottom: 30px; border-radius: 4px;\">\n<h3>\ud83d\udccc Quick Summary (TL;DR): Cherokee Purple<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>\ud83c\udf0d <strong>Origin:<\/strong> A legendary pre-1890 heirloom from Tennessee, USA. According to lore, the seeds were originally given by the Cherokee Native American tribe. It was popularized in the tomato world by Craig LeHoullier, who received the seeds from J.D. Green in 1990.<\/li>\n<li>\ud83c\udf3f <strong>Plant Habit:<\/strong> Indeterminate, though in some climates it behaves more like a semi-determinate, reaching about 1.2\u20131.5 meters (4-5 feet) tall. The true variety has Regular Leaf (RL) foliage, though Potato Leaf (PL) crosses exist.<\/li>\n<li>\ud83c\udf45 <strong>Fruit Characteristics:<\/strong> Dusky rose, brownish-purple beefsteaks weighing around 200-300 grams (7-10.5 oz) on average. Very meaty, juicy, and multi-locular.<\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc45 <strong>Flavor:<\/strong> Widely considered one of the best-tasting dark tomatoes in existence. It has a rich, complex, sweet, and smoky flavor profile.<\/li>\n<li>\u23f3 <strong>Maturity:<\/strong> Mid-season (typically 75-90 days from transplanting).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"add-review-cta\" style=\"margin: 20px 0; padding: 15px; background: #f9f9f9; border-left: 4px solid #4CAF50; border-radius: 4px;\"><strong>\ud83c\udf45 Grown this variety?<\/strong> <a href=\"#wpdcom\">Click here to add your own photos and review below!<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">E<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">ElenaN (Elena) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (28,513 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Kostroma, Russia (USDA Zone 3\/4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>A mid-season, productive, indeterminate variety. The fruits are juicy, multi-locular (with many seeds), weighing 200-300 grams (7-10.5 oz), and are of a brownish-red-purple color. Over the course of the summer, the taste evolved from &#8220;good tomato flavor&#8221; to &#8220;absolutely delicious.&#8221; It&#8217;s an unpretentious and heavy-yielding variety; I grew it outdoors in open ground.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-images\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/40\/111-111114121755.jpeg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/40\/111-111114121755.jpeg\" alt=\"Cherokee Purple tomato slices\" width=\"451\" height=\"345\" \/><br \/>\n<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/40\/111-111114121828.jpeg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/40\/111-111114121828.jpeg\" alt=\"Harvest of Cherokee Purple beefsteaks\" width=\"448\" height=\"396\" \/><br \/>\n<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/40\/111-111114121811.jpeg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/40\/111-111114121811.jpeg\" alt=\"Large dusky purple tomato on a scale\" width=\"540\" height=\"367\" \/><br \/>\n<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/40\/111-111114121741.jpeg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/40\/111-111114121741.jpeg\" alt=\"Cherokee Purple tomato plant in garden\" width=\"398\" height=\"465\" \/><br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<p><em>Edited January 29, 2017 by Drosera<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">A<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">AleksandrS (Aleksandr) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (9,879 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Sarafonovo, Yaroslavl Region (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>I find it interesting \u2014 I grew &#8220;Early Cherokee Purple&#8221; from Gusev (a Russian seed vendor). Are these different varieties or just different names for the same one? I&#8217;m curious because I didn&#8217;t notice any particular &#8220;earliness&#8221; to it at all.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-images\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/40\/10507-111114125019.jpeg\" alt=\"Early Cherokee Purple tomato\" width=\"750\" height=\"1000\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">T<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">tomik (Tamara) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (3,337 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>My Cherokee Purple grew with a potato leaf (PL). The bush wasn&#8217;t tall, about 1-1.2m (3.3-4 ft), but very productive. Yummy! \ud83d\ude0b<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">E<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">ElenaN (Elena) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (28,513 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Kostroma, Russia<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>Quote from AleksandrS:<\/strong><br \/>\nI find it interesting \u2014 I grew &#8220;Early Cherokee Purple&#8221; from Gusev&#8230; Are these different varieties or just different names for the same one?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Sasha! I just looked it up in Tatiana&#8217;s TOMATObase. There is no variety called &#8220;Early Cherokee Purple&#8221;, but there is &#8220;Cherokee Purple&#8221;. They are probably the exact same variety. I got my seeds from A. Kulik.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">G<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Galina P. <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (37,710 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Moscow \/ Chekhov District (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>Grew it in open ground. I really liked the variety. Productive, juicy, and sweet. My seeds were from Lenochka Leo (Elena Leo) in New York.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-images\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/43\/125-011214172313.jpeg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/43\/thumb_125-011214172313.jpeg\" alt=\"Cherokee Purple tomato slice\" width=\"160\" height=\"89\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/43\/125-011214172236.jpeg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/43\/thumb_125-011214172236.jpeg\" alt=\"Ripe Cherokee Purple tomato\" width=\"160\" height=\"89\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/43\/125-011214172122.jpeg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/43\/thumb_125-011214172122.jpeg\" alt=\"Cherokee Purple tomatoes harvested\" width=\"160\" height=\"89\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/43\/125-011214172048.jpeg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/43\/thumb_125-011214172048.jpeg\" alt=\"Dark tomato varieties\" width=\"160\" height=\"89\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/43\/125-011214172004.jpeg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/43\/thumb_125-011214172004.jpeg\" alt=\"Cherokee Purple on the vine\" width=\"160\" height=\"89\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">L<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Lora_27 (Larisa) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (1,248 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Krasnoyarsk, Siberia (USDA Zone 2)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>Popenko (a seed vendor) also has a &#8220;Cherokee Purple Heart&#8221; (USA). It has a distinct heart-shaped point; the color is similar, but the shape is completely different.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">A<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Alisa <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (6,406 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>Quote from ElenaN:<\/strong><br \/>\nSasha! I just looked it up in Tatiana&#8217;s TOMATObase. There is no variety called &#8220;Early Cherokee Purple&#8221;&#8230;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>It seems that, as is often the case, the word &#8220;Early&#8221; was added by local sellers to emphasize that in their specific climate or microclimate, this variety acts like an early one, rather than mid-season (as in Tatiana&#8217;s description)&#8230; Perhaps it adapted, or maybe in their conditions it really is early. In my climate, however, all varieties perfectly match Tatiana&#8217;s descriptions. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">A<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Alisa <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (6,406 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>Quote from tomik:<\/strong><br \/>\nMy Cherokee Purple grew with a potato leaf (PL).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>You must have had something else, because the true Cherokee Purple has regular foliage (RL), not potato leaf&#8230;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">A<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Alisa <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (6,406 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>Quote from Lora_27:<\/strong><br \/>\nPopenko also has a &#8220;Cherokee Purple Heart&#8221; (USA).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;Cherokee&#8221; is an entire family of different shapes and colors. It&#8217;s easy to recognize because the word &#8220;Cherokee&#8221; comes first, followed by the description of the variant\u2014in your case, &#8220;Heart&#8221;. This family also includes Cherokee Green, Cherokee Chocolate, etc. But often, the entire family shares the outstanding flavor and productivity of the original Cherokee.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">L<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Lora_27 (Larisa) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (1,248 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>And the cross-section photo on Tatiana&#8217;s site is different too&#8230;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">A<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Alisa <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (6,406 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>Quote from AleksandrS:<\/strong><br \/>\nI find it interesting \u2014 I grew &#8220;Early Cherokee Purple&#8221; &#8230; didn&#8217;t notice any particular &#8220;earliness&#8221; to it at all &#8211;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>In the US, it is listed as mid-season, taking 75 to 89 days after transplanting to the permanent position. You could even say it leans towards mid-late.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">A<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Alisa <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (6,406 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>Quote from Lora_27:<\/strong><br \/>\nAnd the cross-section photo on Tatiana&#8217;s site is different too&#8230;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Tatiana doesn&#8217;t have a cross-section photo of Cherokee Purple Heart yet, only green fruits.<\/p>\n<p>You are probably mistakenly comparing your purple heart to the flat-round, slightly ribbed beefsteak tomato being discussed in this specific thread.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">A<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">AleksandrS (Aleksandr) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (9,879 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>Quote from Alisa:<\/strong><br \/>\n&#8230;added by local sellers to emphasize that in their specific climate or microclimate, this variety acts like an early one&#8230;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>But who is &#8220;their&#8221;? \ud83d\ude09 I&#8217;m in roughly the same climate zone as Gusev&#8230; well, maybe he is slightly further south.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Quote from Alisa:<\/strong><br \/>\nIn the US, it is listed as mid-season, taking 75 to 89 days after transplanting&#8230;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Could you tell me what their overall classification is for maturity times in days after transplant? \ud83d\ude4f Because here in Russia, we usually calculate DTM from seed emergence (sprouting) or even from the sowing date.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">P<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">PanIrina (Irina) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (1,208 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Nizhny Novgorod Region (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>I cursed at this variety more than any other when it was just a seedling. It completely refused to grow! I planted it in the darkest corner of the greenhouse, but it turned out to be an absolute workhorse. It strengthened up, though it wasn&#8217;t very tall in the greenhouse\u2014about 1.2m to 1.3m (4-4.2 feet). It set tomatoes very well. Probably thanks to this variety, I&#8217;m greatly increasing my dark tomato plantings this year \ud83d\ude4c. It was extremely sweet and delicious. The leaf was regular, seeds from Popenko.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-images\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/33\/12435-050914113332.jpeg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/33\/thumb_12435-050914113332.jpeg\" alt=\"Cherokee Purple truss in greenhouse\" width=\"160\" height=\"120\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/37\/12435-191014064308.jpeg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/37\/thumb_12435-191014064308.jpeg\" alt=\"Harvested Cherokee Purple\" width=\"160\" height=\"120\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">A<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Alisa <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (6,406 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>Quote from AleksandrS:<\/strong><br \/>\nCould you tell me what their overall classification is for maturity times in days after transplant?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>For this variety, it&#8217;s 75-89 days after transplanting to its permanent position outdoors or in a greenhouse. In the USA, Days to Maturity (DTM) is universally counted from the day of transplanting, not from sowing and not from sprouting.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">A<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">AleksandrS (Aleksandr) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (9,879 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>Quote from Alisa:<\/strong><br \/>\nFor this variety, it&#8217;s 75-89 days after transplanting&#8230;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Thank you, but you already wrote about this specific variety&#8230; I was asking about their classification system in general \u2014 what counts as early, what is considered late, etc.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">A<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Alisa <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (6,406 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>Quote from AleksandrS:<\/strong><br \/>\nI was asking about their classification system in general&#8230;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Ah, sorry, I misunderstood&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>Early: 42-69 days<br \/>\nMid-season: 70-89 days<br \/>\nLate: 90+ days. Although for my climate zone, 80 days is already considered late.<\/p>\n<p>P.S. I double-checked&#8230; late is considered 80+ days, but generally 85+ days.<br \/>\nThere can be variations for different climate zones&#8230; but they are minor.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">A<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">AleksandrS (Aleksandr) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (9,879 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>Quote from Alisa:<\/strong><br \/>\nEarly: 42-69 days&#8230;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Thank you! Though it&#8217;s still not entirely clear \u2014 after all, you can transplant seedlings at very different stages: 1 month after sprouting&#8230; or when they are already flowering, or even have tiny fruit set&#8230;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">A<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Alisa <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (6,406 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>Quote from AleksandrS:<\/strong><br \/>\n&#8230;you can transplant seedlings at very different stages&#8230;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>In my experience (I sow seeds March 8-15, and transplant in the first two weeks of June), early varieties ripen first anyway (usually the 70-day ones hit in the first week of August). The late varieties sit there until their natural time comes, meaning they won&#8217;t ripen before late August\/early September, even if they were sown and transplanted on the exact same day as the early ones. DTM is generally counted from transplant until the first ripe fruit. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n<p>I tried sowing late varieties earlier and planting them under unheated plastic tunnels to get an earlier crop, but you can&#8217;t fool nature&#8230; they still waited for their natural maturity window to ripen. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">A<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">AleksandrS (Aleksandr) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (9,879 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>Quote from ElenaN:<\/strong><br \/>\nThere is no variety called &#8220;Early Cherokee Purple&#8221;, but there is &#8220;Cherokee Purple&#8221;. They are probably the exact same variety.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Maybe there is no such official variety&#8230; but I do have seeds under both names! \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n<p>This year I planted both side by side \u2014 the &#8220;Early&#8221; and the regular Cherokee Purple. They are completely different: the first one has Potato Leaf (PL), the second one has Regular Leaf (RL).<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-images\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/62\/10507-300415154509.jpeg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/62\/thumb_10507-300415154509.jpeg\" alt=\"Potato leaf seedling vs regular leaf seedling\" width=\"120\" height=\"160\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/62\/10507-300415154643.jpeg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/62\/thumb_10507-300415154643.jpeg\" alt=\"Comparing Cherokee Purple seedling leaves\" width=\"120\" height=\"160\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">D<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Drosera (Svetlana) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (5,413 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Yekaterinburg, Russia (USDA Zone 3)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>There was actually a conversation about this &#8220;Early Cherokee Purple&#8221; in the &#8220;Dark Tomato Varieties&#8221; thread back in 2013, it took up almost a whole page.<\/p>\n<p>The likely suspects for an &#8220;Early&#8221; Cherokee with potato leaves are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Gary O&#8217; Sena<\/strong> (which is a CP cross)<\/li>\n<li>Or some suspicious listing called &#8220;Cherokee Purple, Potato Leaf&#8221; that appeared in tatianastomatobase.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">A<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Alyona Latviya (Alyona) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (1,366 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Latvia (USDA Zone 5\/6)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>My Cherokee Purple from English seeds (brought from the UK) also has potato leaves, although it&#8217;s less pronounced than, for example, Japanese Black Trifele. So apparently, variants do exist.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">M<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">mopsdad1 (Mikhail) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (6,123 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Stary Oskol, Russia (USDA Zone 5)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>Mine has regular leaves. Sets fruit wonderfully. It acts as a typical semi-determinate. Height is roughly 1.3 meters (4.2 feet). I prune it to 4 stems. Seeds are from Kolyakov.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">A<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Alyona Latviya (Alyona) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (1,366 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>Quote from mopsdad1:<\/strong><br \/>\nMine has regular leaves. Sets fruit wonderfully. It acts as a typical semi-determinate.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>What&#8217;s interesting is that the later leaves on mine are regular! The very first leaves were large, unlobed, and definitely looked like potato leaves, but now the new growth is regular leaf. But overall, in terms of growth speed and appearance, it is 1:1 identical to potato-leaf types\u2014it&#8217;s clearly in no rush, and the suckers look similar (sitting tight between the leaf and stem, in the crevice). Does that mean my plants have some sort of mixed foliage type?<\/p>\n<p>We&#8217;ll see. It might just be a mix-up (off-type), so I&#8217;ll hold off on giving a final review for now.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">M<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">mopsdad1 (Mikhail) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (6,123 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>Here is its leaf. And this is the first truss.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-images\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/sh.uploads.ru\/t\/cJKjf.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/sh.uploads.ru\/t\/cJKjf.jpg\" alt=\"Cherokee Purple regular leaf foliage\" width=\"360\" height=\"270\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">O<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Ovechka (Lyudmila) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Forum Pioneer (13,966 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Russia<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p><strong>Cherokee Purple<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>&#8220;Pre-1890, USA. Indeterminate. One of the first black tomatoes. One of the best tasting beefsteaks. Discovered and named in 1990. According to legend, the seeds were given to white Americans by the Cherokee Indians around 1890.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">G<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Galka (Galina) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 User (665 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Volokolamsk District, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>I liked the variety very much, grew it for the second year. Original seeds were from Royal Seeds. The bush was not tall, grew near the greenhouse wall, and was productive. The flavor is rich, true tomato taste. It has earned a permanent place in my garden.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-images\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/246\/20915-131118095709.jpeg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/246\/thumb_20915-131118095709.jpeg\" alt=\"Cherokee Purple growing near greenhouse wall\" width=\"120\" height=\"160\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/236\/20915-190818151024.jpeg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/236\/thumb_20915-190818151024.jpeg\" alt=\"Cherokee Purple tomato on scale\" width=\"160\" height=\"120\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">M<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Murka (Masha) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (9,358 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Nizhny Novgorod Region (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>I really liked the variety; it was one of the first to start ripening.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-images\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/241\/12464-260918144200.jpeg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/241\/12464-260918144200.jpeg\" alt=\"Perfectly ripe Cherokee Purple\" width=\"750\" height=\"1000\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">M<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">mopsdad1 (Mikhail) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (6,123 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>The variety is simply magnificent. I consider it the best of the black tomatoes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">A<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Artemiy <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 User (506 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Vladimir Region, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>The fruit color isn&#8217;t technically &#8220;purple&#8221;. These are classified as &#8220;black tomatoes&#8221;, genotype R R gf gf.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">K<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Ketrin007 (Ekaterina) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (3,490 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Taldom District, Moscow Region (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>I&#8217;ve read through the thread but I still didn&#8217;t understand \u2014 when should I sow seeds for the Moscow region?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\ud83d\udccc Quick Summary (TL;DR): Cherokee Purple \ud83c\udf0d Origin: A legendary pre-1890 heirloom from Tennessee, USA. According to lore, the seeds were originally given by the Cherokee Native American tribe. It was popularized in the tomato world by Craig LeHoullier, who received the seeds from J.D. Green in 1990. \ud83c\udf3f Plant Habit: Indeterminate, though in some &#8230; <a title=\"Cherokee Purple Tomato Reviews\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/cherokee-purple\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Cherokee Purple Tomato Reviews\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2240,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,89,94,153],"tags":[19,72,18,33,82,49,20,83,15],"class_list":["post-2240","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beefsteak-large-slicers","category-black-purple-tomatoes","category-heirloom-other","category-tomato-culture-history","tag-dark-tomato","tag-greenhouse-tomato","tag-heirloom","tag-indeterminate","tag-meaty-tomato","tag-open-ground","tag-purple-beefsteak","tag-seedless-tomato","tag-sweet-flavor"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2240","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2240"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2240\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2243,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2240\/revisions\/2243"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2240"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2240"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2240"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2240"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}