Which is easier to grow?

Cherokee Purple, generally. It ripens earlier, around 80 days versus Brandywine's 90, and adapts to more climates, so it is the safer bet in a shorter or cooler season.

They aim at different targets. Brandywine is the benchmark for bright, classic red-tomato flavor; Cherokee Purple is the benchmark for deep, smoky dark-tomato flavor. Many growers who like one end up growing both.

Can I grow either in a short season?

Both are late. Cherokee Purple at 80 days is the more realistic; Brandywine at 90 days needs an early indoor start and a warm spot, and is excluded from our New England shortlist.

Compare

Brandywine vs Cherokee Purple

These are the two heirlooms new tomato growers reach for first, and for good reason: both are benchmark-flavored beefsteaks with a devoted following. The choice comes down to color and timing. Brandywine is the late, pink, classic-flavored one; Cherokee Purple is the earlier, dusky, smoky one that tends to be a little more forgiving.

Beefsteak

Brandywineheirloom · 90 days · LateThe reference point many growers use for full, rich tomato flavor with a balancing acidity. A potato-leaf heirloom prized for taste rather than productivity. Attributed description, not a measured claim.

Beefsteak

Cherokee Purpleheirloom · 80 days · MidWidely described as rich, sweet and smoky with a savory depth that makes it a benchmark dark heirloom. As with every flavor note here, this is the recurring description, not a measured claim.

Flavor

Brandywine is the reference point many growers use for full, rich, well-balanced tomato flavor with a touch of acidity. It is the standard other tomatoes get measured against.

Cherokee Purple is rich, sweet, and smoky with a savory depth. It is the benchmark for dark-tomato flavor, less about brightness and more about earthy complexity. Flavor is subjective, and both are described here from grower and catalog accounts.

Plant and timing

Brandywine is a late, potato-leaf indeterminate, around 90 days and marginal for short seasons, with a modest yield. It rewards a long, warm season and patience.

Cherokee Purple is an earlier indeterminate, around 80 days, that adapts to many climates and sets a bit more readily, which is why it is often the easier of the two to succeed with.

Looks and quirks

Brandywine is large and pink, 12 oz to over a pound, and prone to green shoulders and cracking. Cherokee Purple is a dusky rose-purple slicer, 8 to 16 oz, also with green shoulders that need trimming and a tendency to crack. Neither is a heavy producer, so plan for a handful of prized fruit rather than a glut.

Common questions

Which is easier to grow?: Cherokee Purple, generally. It ripens earlier, around 80 days versus Brandywine's 90, and adapts to more climates, so it is the safer bet in a shorter or cooler season.
Which tastes better?: They aim at different targets. Brandywine is the benchmark for bright, classic red-tomato flavor; Cherokee Purple is the benchmark for deep, smoky dark-tomato flavor. Many growers who like one end up growing both.
Can I grow either in a short season?: Both are late. Cherokee Purple at 80 days is the more realistic; Brandywine at 90 days needs an early indoor start and a warm spot, and is excluded from our New England shortlist.

Sources

Brandywine (tomato) · Wikipedia
Brandywine Tomato · University of Arkansas Extension
Cherokee Purple · Wikipedia
Cherokee Purple Tomato · Southern Exposure Seed Exchange

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