- Heirloom
- Beefsteak
- 80 (estimated) days to maturity (from transplant)
- Indeterminate
- Purple
Cherokee Purple
Heirloom beefsteak from USA, 1990. Dusky purple-red heirloom beefsteak, prized for its rich, smoky-sweet flavor. Ready in about 80 days from transplant.
Single source · Updated Aug 30, 2026 · Values marked like this (estimated) are estimates.
At a glance
- Fruit type
- Beefsteak 10–16 oz (280–450 g) · Flattened globe (estimated)
Green to bronze shoulders that persist at full ripeness.
- Leaf type
- Regular leaf
- Days to harvest
- 80 days (estimated) from transplant · Mid-late
- Plant height
- 5–6½ ft (150–200 cm) (estimated) Tall
- Spacing
- 24 × 35 in (60 × 90 cm) (estimated)
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Position
- Handles open positions
- Growing sites
- Greenhouse · Polytunnel · Open ground
- Container growing
- Not suited to pots
- Difficulty
- Moderate (estimated) 3/5
- Skin
-
- Purple
- Interior
-
- Red
- Green
Plant size and habit
Tall · Indeterminate
5–6½ ft (150–200 cm) (estimated) · Regular leaf
Cherokee Purple is an indeterminate plant that keeps growing and setting fruit until frost; it needs a stake, cage, or trellis for the whole season. Expect a plant of 5–6½ ft (150–200 cm).
Flavor
“Dusky purple-red heirloom beefsteak, prized for its rich, smoky-sweet flavor.”
Growing calendar
80 (estimated) days from transplant Mid-late
Timing shown for temperate climates; sow indoors 6–8 (estimated) weeks before your last frost date. Look up your last frost date by ZIP code →
Disease resistance
No documented disease resistances — protect this variety with good airflow and crop rotation.
Uses & tags
- Slicing
- Fresh & salads
- Snacking
- Heirloom classic
- High flavor
- Gift worthy
- Market favorite
Origin
In 1990 Craig LeHoullier received an unlabeled packet of seed from John D. Green of Sevierville, Tennessee, along with a note claiming the variety had been grown in the area for over a hundred years and had originally come from the Cherokee. LeHoullier named it Cherokee Purple, grew it out, and passed it to Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, which listed it commercially in 1993. Within a decade it had become the reference point for dusky, dark-shouldered heirloom beefsteaks in North America. The Cherokee attribution rests on that single oral account and has never been independently documented.
Sources
Where to buy seeds
Prices rechecked daily- Botanical InterestsSeeds
Packet size not listed
Check availability
$2.69Checked Nov 1, 2026 - True Leaf MarketSeeds
250 Mg Packet
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$3.09Checked Nov 1, 2026 - Tomato Growers Supply CompanySeeds
Pack (30 seeds)
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$3.25Checked Nov 1, 2026 - Baker Creek Heirloom SeedsSeeds
Packet size not listed
In stock
$3.50Checked Nov 1, 2026 - Eden BrothersSeeds
Packet
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$3.84Checked Nov 1, 2026 - BurpeeSeeds
50 Seeds
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$4.95Checked Nov 1, 2026
Links may earn us a commission at no cost to you. Prices checked Nov 1, 2026.
All photos
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Cherokee Purple tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover -
A truss of Cherokee Purple tomatoes -
Cherokee Purple tomato plant in a garden bed with ripe fruit on the vine -
A ripe Cherokee Purple tomato held in a gardener's hand -
Freshly picked Cherokee Purple tomatoes -
Cherokee Purple tomato sliced in the kitchen
Questions
How do you grow a Cherokee Purple plant?
A Cherokee Purple plant grows 5–6½ ft (150–200 cm) tall (estimated). Space plants 24 in (60 cm) apart in rows 35 in (90 cm) apart (estimated). Start seed indoors 6–8 weeks before your last frost (estimated); it germinates in 7–14 days (estimated). It needs full sun.
How long does Cherokee Purple take to mature?
Cherokee Purple is ready in about 80 days from transplant.
Does Cherokee Purple need staking?
Cherokee Purple is an indeterminate plant that keeps growing and setting fruit until frost; it needs a stake, cage, or trellis for the whole season. Expect a plant of 5–6½ ft (150–200 cm).
Can Cherokee Purple be grown in a container?
Cherokee Purple is better suited to open ground or a greenhouse bed than a container.
Is Cherokee Purple resistant to disease?
No disease resistance is documented for Cherokee Purple.
