Chocolate Cherry
Single source · Reviewed Sep 9, 2026
Values marked like this (estimated) are model estimates, not confirmed from a source.
Open-pollinated cocktail from USA. Russet-brown cocktail tomato carrying the smoky depth of the black heirlooms. Ready in about 70 days from transplant.
- Open-pollinated
- 70 (estimated) days to maturity (from transplant)
- Indeterminate
- Cocktail-size fruit
- Moderate (estimated)
At a glance
- Fruit type
- Cocktail ~1 oz (25–40 g) · Round (estimated)
- Leaf type
- Regular leaf
- Plant height
- 6–8 ft (180–240 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
- Skin
-
- Brown
- Interior
-
- Red
Plant size and habit
Tall · Indeterminate
6–8 ft (180–240 cm) (estimated) · Regular leaf
Chocolate Cherry 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 6–8 ft (180–240 cm).
Flavor
“Russet-brown cocktail tomato carrying the smoky depth of the black heirlooms.”
Growing calendar
- Sow indoors
- Transplant out
- Harvest
Timing shown for temperate climates; sow indoors 6–8 weeks before your last frost date.
Disease resistance
No documented disease resistances — protect this variety with good airflow and crop rotation.
Uses & tags
- Fresh & salads
- Snacking
- Novelty color
- High flavor
- High yield
- Kid friendly
Origin
Chocolate Cherry sits between a cherry and a cocktail tomato in size, with the russet-brown skin and dark-shoulder pigmentation of the larger black heirlooms. It carries much of their smoky depth in a fruit small enough to pick and eat without cutting. Its origin is thinly recorded; it is usually attributed to Aaron Whaley of Seed Savers Exchange.
Sources
Where to buy seeds
All photos
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Chocolate Cherry tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover -
A truss of Chocolate Cherry tomatoes -
Chocolate Cherry tomato plant in a garden bed with ripe fruit on the vine -
A ripe Chocolate Cherry tomato held in a gardener's hand -
Freshly picked Chocolate Cherry tomatoes -
Chocolate Cherry tomato sliced in the kitchen
Questions
How long does Chocolate Cherry take to mature?
Chocolate Cherry is ready in about 70 days from transplant.
Does Chocolate Cherry need staking?
Chocolate Cherry 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 6–8 ft (180–240 cm).
Can Chocolate Cherry be grown in a container?
Chocolate Cherry is better suited to open ground or a greenhouse bed than a container.
Is Chocolate Cherry resistant to disease?
No disease resistance is documented for Chocolate Cherry.
See also
Other cocktail varieties people put next to this one.
Grows like this one
Indeterminate, midseason, full sun. Same support, same calendar.
