Cherokee Chocolate

Family: Solanaceae Nightshade

Planting Schedule

Provide your location or planting zone to unlock dates and add Cherokee Chocolate to a garden.

Sink your senses into Cherokee Chocolate’s richly complex, smoky-sweet aroma and its velvety, mahogany-red flesh with warm chocolate-brown undertones.

This beefsteak standout forms large, irregularly ribbed fruits that feel substantial in the hand—juicy yet pleasantly dense—ideal for slicing thick and showcasing their deep, savory flavor in bold salads and hearty sandwiches, as well as for robust sauces and slow-simmered salsas. Gardeners love its dramatic color and full-bodied taste that make every harvest feel like a rare treasure.

Light: Full SunMaturity: 90 DaysHabit: Indeterminate

Botanical illustration of Cherokee Chocolate

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Cherokee Chocolate Planting Dates by USDA Zone

Estimated US hardiness-zone windows for sow, transplant, and harvest. Enter a US ZIP above for exact local dates, or open a zone below.

Zone	Start Indoors	Sow / Transplant	Harvest
Zone 1a	Protected Environment Only
Zone 1b	Protected Environment Only
Zone 2a	Apr 6th	Jul 20th	Oct 18th – Aug 29th
Zone 2b	Mar 27th	Jul 10th	Oct 8th – Aug 25th
Zone 3a	Mar 27th	Jul 10th	Oct 8th – Sep 1st
Zone 3b	Mar 31st	Jul 14th	Oct 12th – Sep 21st
Zone 4a	Mar 27th	Jul 10th	Oct 8th – Sep 24th
Zone 4b	Mar 25th	Jul 8th	Oct 6th – Sep 27th
Zone 5a	Mar 20th	Jul 3rd	Oct 1st – Sep 30th
Zone 5b	Mar 16th	Jun 29th	Sep 27th – Oct 5th
Zone 6a	Mar 13th	Jun 26th	Sep 24th – Oct 10th
Zone 6b	Mar 7th	Jun 20th	Sep 18th – Oct 16th
Zone 7a	Mar 2nd	Jun 15th	Sep 13th – Oct 20th
Zone 7b	Feb 20th	Jun 5th	Sep 3rd – Oct 28th
Zone 8a	Feb 11th	May 27th	Aug 25th – Nov 5th
Zone 8b	Feb 2nd	May 18th	Aug 16th – Nov 12th
Zone 9a	Jan 16th	May 1st	Jul 30th – Nov 26th
Zone 9b	Dec 22nd	Apr 6th	Jul 5th – Dec 9th
Zone 10a	Continuous Production
Zone 10b	Continuous Production
Zone 11a	Continuous Production
Zone 11b	Continuous Production
Zone 12a	Continuous Production
Zone 12b	Continuous Production
Zone 13a	Continuous Production
Zone 13b	Continuous Production

Crop Details

Trait	Value
Days to Maturity	90
Sun Requirements	Full Sun
Growth Habit	Indeterminate
Support Needed	Cage
Planting Depth	Deep
Germination Temp (°F)	75
Min Soil Temp (°F)	60
Min Night Temp (°F)	50
Harden Off (days)	10

Culinary Notes

Chef's Note

Cherokee Chocolate is the kind of tomato you slice to show off—dense, velvety, and darkly flavored enough to taste like it’s been cooking even when it hasn’t. Use it in applications that let its smoky-sweet undertones and structure stay intact—hot, heavy, and savory is where it performs.

Best Uses

thick slice-and-sear or broiled “tomato steaks” where the fruit stays meaty instead of collapsing
BLTs and heavy sandwiches that can handle a fruit-forward, not-too-watery interior
slow-simmered sauces that benefit from its dark, savory profile
hearty, chunky salsas where you want texture plus a smoky-sweet backbone

Flavor Profile

smoky-sweet aroma with chocolate-brown undertones velvety, mahogany-red flesh that's juicy yet pleasantly dense savory, warm, lightly complex acidity that keeps slices from tasting flat

Kitchen Pairings

smoked salt balsamic vinegar black pepper garlic mozzarella pork

Frequently Asked Questions

What pest or disease problem is most common on Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) and how do I control it?

Late blight and early blight are common on tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum), showing up as dark leaf spots that spread quickly in humid weather. Remove and destroy infected leaves, improve airflow by spacing plants, and water at the soil line (not the foliage) to keep leaves dry. If pressure is high, use a labeled fungicide appropriate for tomatoes and start treatments as soon as spots or weather conditions favor blight.

How often should I water Cherokee Chocolate tomato during the main growing phase?

During the main growth and fruiting period (roughly from flowering through ongoing harvest), keep soil consistently moist but not soggy—aim for about 1 to 1.5 inches (2.5–4 cm) of water per week depending on heat and container size. Water deeply 1–3 times per week rather than frequent light watering, and let the top 1 inch (2.5 cm) of soil dry slightly between waterings to reduce disease risk. Mulch helps maintain steady moisture and reduces cracking and blossom-end rot.

How can I tell when Cherokee Chocolate tomato is ready to harvest?

Harvest when fruits are fully colored (deep brown-red with a rich mahogany tone for this cultivar) and the shoulders no longer look green. The fruit should give slightly to gentle pressure and feel fragrant at the stem; fully mature tomatoes will detach easily with a light twist. For best flavor, pick at peak softness—do not wait until they are overly wrinkled or splitting.