Cherokee Purple

From Tatiana's TOMATOBase

Cherokee Purple
Maturity	midseason
Growth habit	indet.
Leaf type	regular
Fruit color	black
Fruit shape	beefsteak
Fruit size	large
Fruit type	slicer

Contents 1 B.C KO T 2 MI FL J 3 IL LO N 4 KY ST M 5 MAN ST T 6 GERM SC K 7 CA CA N 8 MI MA D 9 TX GU R 10 Seed Availability

B.C KO T

Indet., regular leaf plant with dark purple beefsteak fruit, 6-16 oz, outstanding producer in summer 2004, excellent taste, no core. Clear skin and some green shoulders that do not affect texture or taste. One of the first larger tomatoes to ripen in my garden in 2009. My favorite black tomato!

Seed Source:

1. 'Heirloom Tomatoes', from a local Home Depot nursery 04

2. B.C MC D 05 (Dan and Val McMurray, Wynndel, BC, Canada)

3. James Yerxa, Canada 05

4. MI FL J 08 (Jeff Fleming, Augusta, Michigan)

Year: 2003, 2004, 2005 (#1), 2008 (all sources), 2009 (#4), 2010 (#3)

Location: Zone 7b, PNW, Anmore, BC, Canada (760 ft above sea level)

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MI FL J

80 days, medium sized plant produces medium to large (8-16 oz) smooth fruit, dark pink with purplish shoulders, incredibly delicious sweet flavor, one of my favorites. Fruit matures earlier than most large indeterminate heirloom varieties, and production is limited to about one month's duration - it does not keep producing into the fall season. Cherokee Purple is the parent of different variants such as Cherokee Green and Cherokee Chocolate. I have heard from other heirloom growers that the strain sold by some commercial sources is not the authentic delicious strain that I describe, although I cannot personally attest to that, so if you have tried this variety and obtained an ordinary tasting tomato, you do not have the real thing.

Source 

PA LE C 91 (Craig LeHoullier of Raleigh, North Carolina) / J.D. Green, Tennessee

Year: 1991, 1992, 1996, and annually since 1999

Location: Augusta, Michigan

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IL LO N

85 days, indet., regular foliage, 6-12 oz fruit, pink-purple wih green shoulders, fair taste, good yield.

Source 

Tomato Growers Supply 94

Location: Oblong, Illinois

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KY ST M

Variable sizes up to one pound, deep red with a purple cast, 85 days, flattened beefsteaks.

Source

 ?

Year:

Location: Sonora, Kentucky

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MAN ST T

The fruit of Cherokee Purple is a dark purplish pink color and often has green shoulders. The large fruit average 12 oz and are delicious. The plants are very productive and reliable. One of the best! Indeterminate, regular leaf foliage. (75-80 days from transplant).

Source

Heritage Harvest Seed

Location: Carman, Manitoba, Canada

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GERM SC K

Pink-purple oblate fruit with green shoulders, indet., one of my earliest beefsteak tomatoes.

Source 

M. Hahm-Hartmann

Year: 2005

Location: Germany

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CA CA N

Growing this year

Source

Seed trade

Year: 2011

Location:

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MI MA D

89 days to maturity. Medium to large rose/purple colored. Average height: 2 1/2". Width: 3 1/2". Weight: 8.3 oz - 1 lb. 4 oz. This is a great tasting tomato with a balanced flavor...not too sweet and without the tangy aftertaste. This is our favorite tasting tomato. In our 3b/4a zone we will often have to ripen some of the Cherokee Purple tomatoes off the vine.

Source 

Plant purchased from Ace Hardware

Year: 2011

Location: Iron River, Michigan

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TX GU R

80 days, indet., regular leaf, purplish pink dusky fruit to 1 lb, outstanding flavor, a favorite.

Source 

IA DR G (Glenn Drowns, Iowa)

Location: Pasadena, Texas

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History

• Cherokee Purple was sent to Craig LeHoullier by John D. Green of Sevierville, Tennessee, in 1990 as an unnamed variety. The original letter sent with the seeds that describes all that is known of its history is referenced here [1]. Mr. Green got the variety from a woman who, in turn, received them from her neighbor. The neighbor claimed that they have been in their family for 100 years, originally receiving them from the Cherokee Indians. Craig named the variety and listed it in the SSE yearbook the year after he first grew them (1990). He also sent seeds to Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, then, a few years later, Johnny's Selected Seeds.
• 60 commercial sources noted for 2004 in Garden Seed Inventory 6th edition.
• One of the varieties described in Carolyn J. Male's book "100 Heirloom Tomatoes for the American Garden".

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See also

• Cherokee Chocolate (a stable skin color mutation)
• Cherokee Green
• Cherokee Purple, Potato Leaf
• Cherokee Purple, Pink

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Accidental crosses with Cherokee Purple as a parent

• Vorlon (Cherokee Purple X Pruden's Purple)
• Large Barred Boar (found in a Cherokee Purple patch by Brad Gates)
• Haley's Purple Comet (maybe?, Brad Gates)
• Berkeley Tie-Dye (possibly?, Brad Gates)
• Jeff's Purple (crossed seed from Jeff Fleming, F1 grown in Tatiana Kouchnareva (B.C KO T) garden in 2008)

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Intentional crosses with Cherokee Purple as a parent

• Black Prince X Cherokee Purple F1 (Tom Wagner, WA)
• Gary'O Sena (Keith Mueller, MO)
• Liz Birt (Keith Mueller, MO)
• Dora (Keith Mueller, MO)
• Purple Haze (Keith Mueller, MO. F1 hybrid)

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References

• Wikipedia - Cherokee Purple Tomato

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Seed Availability

Year	Commercial Vendors (Catalog)	Seed Savers Yearbook (listings)	Seeds of Diversity - Member Seed Directory
2012	Tatiana's TOMATObase Seeds Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Casey's Heirloom Tomatoes of Airdrie Double Helix Farms Gleckler Seedmen Johnny's Selected Seeds Pinetree Seeds Seed Savers Exchange The Sample Seed Shop Tomato Growers Supply *	.	.
2011	Tatiana's TOMATObase Seeds Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Casey's Heirloom Tomatoes of Airdrie Fedco Seeds Gleckler Seedmen Heirloom Seeds Heirloom Tomatoes Heritage Harvest Seed Johnny's Selected Seeds Knapp's Fresh Vegies Marianna's Heirloom Seeds NESeed * Pinetree Seeds Sand Hill Preservation Center Seed Savers Exchange Skyfire Garden Seeds Snow Seed * Southern Exposure Seed Exchange Solana Seeds The Sample Seed Shop Territorial Seed Company Tomato Growers Supply * Tomatofest Trade Winds Fruit Twining Vine Garden Two Wings Farm	24	5
2010	Tatiana's TOMATObase Seeds Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Blue Ribbon Tomatoes Burpee Casey's Heirloom Tomatoes of Airdrie Heirloom Seeds Heirloom Tomatoes Gleckler Seedmen - new Gourmet Seed International Heritage Harvest Seed Johnny's Selected Seeds Knapp's Fresh Vegies Marianna's Heirloom Seeds Pinetree Seeds - new Sand Hill Preservation Center Seed Savers Exchange Skyfire Garden Seeds Southern Exposure Seed Exchange Solana Seeds The Sample Seed Shop Territorial Seed Company Tomato Growers Supply Tomatofest Twining Vine Garden - new Two Wings Farm Victory Seed Company	26	4
2009	Tatiana's TOMATObase Seeds Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Casey's Heirloom Tomatoes of Airdrie Gourmet Seed International Heirloom Seeds Heirloom Tomatoes Heritage Harvest Seed Johnny's Selected Seeds - new Knapp's Fresh Vegies Marianna's Heirloom Seeds Sand Hill Preservation Center Seed Savers Exchange Skyfire Garden Seeds - new Southern Exposure Seed Exchange Solana Seeds Territorial Seed Company Tomato Growers Supply Tomatofest Totally Tomatoes Twining Vine Garden Two Wings Farm Victory Seed Company	23	.
2008	Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Gourmet Seed International Heirloom Seeds Heritage Harvest Seed Marianna's Heirloom Seeds Sand Hill Preservation Center Seed Savers Exchange Southern Exposure Seed Exchange Solana Seeds Territorial Seed Company Tomato Growers Supply Tomatofest Totally Tomatoes Victory Seed Company	28	.
2007	Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Johnny's Selected Seeds Marianna's Heirloom Seeds Sand Hill Preservation Center Seed Savers Exchange Southern Exposure Seed Exchange Solana Seeds Territorial Seed Company Tomato Growers Supply	25	.

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