Sungold
Sun Gold
Single source · Reviewed Sep 9, 2026
Values marked like this (estimated) are model estimates, not confirmed from a source.
Hybrid F1 cherry from Japan. The sweetest common cherry: tropical, almost apricot-like, and prone to splitting. Ready in about 57 days from transplant.
- Hybrid F1
- 57 days to maturity (from transplant)
- Indeterminate
- Cherry-size fruit
- Easy (estimated)
At a glance
- Fruit type
- Cherry ~1 oz (15–20 g) · Round
- Leaf type
- Regular leaf
- Plant height
- 7–10 ft (210–300 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
-
- Orange
- Interior
-
- Orange
Plant size and habit
Tall · Indeterminate
7–10 ft (210–300 cm) (estimated) · Regular leaf
Sungold 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 7–10 ft (210–300 cm).
Flavor
“The sweetest common cherry: tropical, almost apricot-like, and prone to splitting.”
Growing calendar
- Sow indoors
- Transplant out
- Harvest
Timing shown for temperate climates; sow indoors 6–8 weeks before your last frost date.
Disease resistance
- F1 Fusarium wilt (race 1)
- T Tobacco mosaic virus
Uses & tags
- Snacking
- Fresh & salads
- Kid friendly
- High flavor
- High yield
- Market favorite
- Short season
Origin
Sungold is the variety most often named when experienced gardeners are asked what they would grow if they could only grow one. Bred by Tokita Seed in Japan, it produces long trusses of orange cherries with a sugar level that reads as tropical rather than tomato-like. The trade-off is a thin skin that splits readily after rain.
Sources
Where to buy seeds
All photos
-
Sungold tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover -
A truss of Sungold tomatoes -
Sungold tomato plant in a garden bed with ripe fruit on the vine -
A ripe Sungold tomato held in a gardener's hand -
Freshly picked Sungold tomatoes -
Sungold tomato sliced in the kitchen
Questions
How long does Sungold take to mature?
Sungold is ready in about 57 days from transplant.
Does Sungold need staking?
Sungold 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 7–10 ft (210–300 cm).
Can Sungold be grown in a container?
Sungold is better suited to open ground or a greenhouse bed than a container.
Is Sungold resistant to disease?
Sungold carries documented resistance to Fusarium wilt (race 1) and Tobacco mosaic virus.
See also
Other cherry varieties people put next to this one.
Grows like this one
Indeterminate, early, full sun. Same support, same calendar.
