Full List of Cherry Tomatoes: 5 Best-Suited for Gardening

Cherry tomatoes are a very common ingredient in salads, dips, pasta, and tons of other dishes. They are loved by all due to their unique flavor that can be subtle, sweet, or tangy.

Cherry tomato plants can be grown easily in pots or in your garden. They grow very fast and are quick to yield huge clusters of tomatoes in one go. These fruits range in size from 1 to 2 inches, depending on their variety.

It is definitely a superb idea to plant cherry tomatoes in your home if you love them as snacks and are interested in dishes that have them as the main ingredient. Also, they make great beginner’s plantations as they are not very hard to care for.

The only hard part is deciding which ones to grow once you have decided to plant them. Each variety has something unique and different to offer, but don’t worry! This guide lists the best varieties available in the market to help you choose. A detailed overview should definitely help you pick a few. Let’s get going!


Cherry tomato facts

Before we jump into the different kinds of cherry tomatoes that you can plant, let’s first take a look at some basic cherry tomato facts:

  • Common name: Cherry tomato
  • Scientific name: Solanum Lycopersicum var. Cerasiforme
  • Family: Solanaceae
  • Origin: South America
  • Colour: Deep purple, green, mahogany, orange, pink, red, white, and yellow
  • Plant type: Grows year-round, bears fruit
  • Size: 4-8 feet tall, 1-3 feet wide
  • Sunlight: Bright and direct sunlight
  • Soil type: Loamy, well-drained
  • Soil pH: Acidic, ranging from 6.0 to 6.8
  • Fruiting season: Summers
  • Hardiness zones: 2 to 11 USDA
  • Toxicity: Toxic to both animals and humans

Cherry tomato varieties

All cherry tomatoes come under a few very distinct varieties. These are:

  • Determinate varieties
  • Indeterminate varieties
  • Hybrid varieties

So, what are the primary features of these varieties, and how do tomatoes in each category differ from each other? Keep reading to find out!

Determinate varieties

Determinate plants are best suited for small gardens, container planting, and tiny spaces. Tomatoes from these plants grow to a single mature size, and most of the fruit ripens in a short span. After a batch ripens, the plant turns dormant. Usually, no further fruit is produced in this phase.

Determinate tomato varieties are sometimes also called “bush” tomatoes because they do not elongate like other plants. In fact, these plants do not grow very tall at all, and their maximum height is usually between 4 and 5 feet.

Although this plant is short and compact, it does produce super-large clusters of fruit. Sometimes, the plant may look burdened by the weight of these clusters. Staking is ideal for helping the plant grow.

Determinate cherry tomatoes are great for juices, sauces, and canning.

Indeterminate varieties

Indeterminate plants grow like vines and continue elongation throughout the fruiting season. This is the reason why sometimes indeterminate tomatoes are also called vining tomatoes.

These plants continue to bear fruit throughout summers, and they only stop once winters kill them off. Cherry tomatoes are supplied steadily instead of in bulk. However, these do not ripen as fast as determinate varieties, as a lot of time is put into growing taller. Pinching back suckers on tomatoes may help prevent uncontrollable growth.

Most heirloom varieties, cherry varieties, and dwarf varieties are indeterminate. Large cages or support are usually needed to keep the vines upright. These plants grow to about 6 to 10 feet tall and get very heavy after bearing fruit.

Most people grow indeterminate varieties as hanging vines to eliminate the need for too much support. You will still need a strong hanging base to keep the plant steady.

Hybrid varieties 

Hybrid varieties are formed when two different breeds of tomatoes are crossbred to produce new, unique offspring.

Hybrid varieties flaunt the best traits of both parents. Such plants, including their fruit, show special characteristics like:

  • Resistance to diseases
  • Better yield
  • Better quality fruit
  • TLC is not required that often


OUR FAVORITES

  • Non-GMO
  • Very tasty fruit
  • 4 varieties in one pack
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  • Non-GMO
  • Germinate quickly
  • Tasty fruit
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  • High germination
  • Mixed varieties
  • Treatment Area: A few seeds per plant
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Best products for cherry tomato seeds

Let’s now look at a few products that you can use to grow your very own cherry tomatoes.

1. 250 Cherry Tomato Seeds Large Fresh Garden Seeds – Top choice

[lasso ref=”250-cherry-tomato-seeds-large-non-gmo-fresh-garden-seeds” id=”3968″ link_id=”3266″]

Style: Red cherry tomato seeds

Application: For planting indoors during summers

Size: 250 seeds

Treatment Area: A few seeds per plant

Pros

  • Non-GMO
  • Germinate quickly
  • Tasty fruit

2. Sow Right – Cherry Tomato Seed for Planting – Best All-Natural Seeds

[lasso ref=”sow-right-seeds-cherry-tomato-seed-collection-for-planting-black-yellow-pear-white-and-rio-grande-cherry-tomatoes-non-gmo-heirloom-varieties-to-plant-and-grow-home-vegetable-garden” id=”3969″ link_id=”3267″]

Style: Black cherry, Yellow Pear, White cherry, Rio Grande

Application: For planting indoors or outdoors during summers

Size: 45 seeds per pack

Treatment Area: A few seeds per plant

Pros

  • Non-GMO
  • Very tasty fruit
  • 4 varieties in one pack

3. Rainbow Cherry Tomato Mix Seeds Colorful Heirloom Blend – Best Mixed Seeds

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Style: Gold, orange, light cream, white, yellow, pink, green, purple, red, and some dual colors

Application: Damp seed mix and soil required for germination

Size: 85 seeds

Treatment Area: A few seeds per plant

Pros

  • High germination
  • Mixed varieties

4. David’s Garden Seeds Tomato Cherry Supersweet 3981, Hybrid Seeds – Best high germination seeds

[lasso ref=”davids-garden-seeds-tomato-cherry-supersweet-3981-red-25-non-gmo-hybrid-seeds” id=”3971″ link_id=”3269″]

Style: Red cherry, Supersweet 100 tomato seeds

Application: Indoors or outdoors during summers

Size: 25 seeds

Treatment Area: A few seeds per plant

Pros

  • Non-GMO
  • 80% germination rate
  • Very sweet fruit
  • Prolific

5. Gaea’s Blessing Seeds – Tomato Seeds – Small Red Cherry Heirloom – Prolific tomato seeds

[lasso ref=”gaeas-blessing-seeds-tomato-seeds-small-red-cherry-heirloom-non-gmo-seeds-with-easy-to-follow-planting-instructions-open-pollinated-92-germination-rate” id=”3972″ link_id=”3270″]

Style: Red cherry, Super tomato seeds

Application: Indoors or outdoors during summers

Size: 100 seeds

Treatment Area: A few seeds per plant

Pros

  • Prolific
  • All-natural
  • High germination

Best of each variety

Now that we have covered the basics, let’s take a look at the best varieties in each category. We also mention whether these varieties are hybrid or heirloom so that there’s no stone unturned!

Heirloom varieties are those that are naturally present in nature and have not been experimented with by humans for at least 40 or more years. They are also great picks if you want to gather your own seeds.

Now without further ado, let’s get started!

Best determinate cherry tomatoes 

Baby Boomer

Type: hybrid

The baby boomer plant produces a superb yield of tomatoes throughout summer. It continues to produce fruit until nipped in the bud by frost. The fruits of these plants are about 1 inch in diameter, and each bush produces up to 300 fruits in one season!

The baby boomer is quite a prolific plant, and planters and gardeners love it due to its sweet fruit. These completely sweet cherry tomatoes are perfect as snacks, roasting, and dips. They can also be used for canning.

Each plant usually yields fruit in about 50 to 55 days. Plants can grow up to nearly 22 or 25 inches tall and can become quite heavy once they bear fruit. A cage or support may be necessary in that case.

Maglia Rosa

Type: Heirloom and open-pollinated

Maglia Rosa is an heirloom determinate plant widely known for the beauty of the tomatoes they yield. Cherry tomatoes produced by this plant are oval in shape and measure about 2 to 3 inches in size.

The pinkish-orange tomatoes are very flavourful, and most people love to grow them in containers. They can be draped from hanging baskets as well if you want to grow overhead plants.

A pinkish hue means they are ripe for harvesting, and if you harvest them at the right time, you can expect delicious tomatoes. When ripe, these are slightly acidic but very sweet and indulgent.

The cherry tomatoes of maglia rosa are produced in 70 days by plants that can grow 24 to 36 inches tall.

Sweetheart of the patio

Type: Hybrid

The sweetheart of the patio is a hybrid species that is not even considered completely determinate. This plant is considered semi-determinate because it shows mixed properties.

This plant has a very large yield, with clusters of cherry tomatoes produced in summers. The fruit measures 1 inch in diameter and is bright red in color.

The compact clusters of this plant ripen up in about 68 days. The entire plant grows only about 24 to 36 inches tall and is, therefore, a good option for containers, hanging pots/baskets, and gardens.

Tiny Tim

Type: Heirloom

Tiny Tim is a plant that probably yields the cutest bright red cherry tomatoes. The plant produces them in large quantities, and each fruit only weighs about 4 ounces.

The fruits mature, ripen, and are ready to eat in about 55 to 60 days. These are even shorter plants that only grow about 12 to 16 inches tall. The width, too, is a mere 6 inches in total.

These tiny plants, with their small fruits, are excellent for planting in containers and hanging baskets. They can be placed indoors as they do well in shade but do make sure that sunlight is not cut off completely.

indeterminate cherry tomatoes

Best indeterminate cherry tomatoes

Black cherry

Type: Heirloom

The black cherry plant yields flavorful and sweet bite-sized tomatoes. The fruits are firm in texture and measure only 1 inch in diameter.

When ripe, the fruits change color to a deep mahogany brown, which is where it gets its name from. Black cherry tomatoes are constantly produced throughout summers.

The black cherry plant grows about 60 inches in height. Although the plant matures in 64 days, the yield is slow and steady but constant. This heirloom variety is pretty resistant to most diseases and can be collected for propagation.

The black cherry tomatoes give a rich flavor to pizza, salsa, and even bruschetta.

Black Pearl

Type: Heirloom hybrid

One of the black pearl plant’s parents is the black cherry plant, which shows in the mahogany-toned fruits once they are ripe.

The flavor of the black pearl cherry tomatoes is quite complex as compared to black cherry tomatoes. They are richer in flavor and are sweet and slightly sour at the same time.

A healthy black pearl plant has vines with clusters of fruit. When ripe, the fruit is blackish-red or mahogany and measures about 1½ inches in diameter.

The vines can grow up to 60 inches in height and need tons of support when they yield fruit, as it makes them very heavy. The tomatoes mature in about 65 days.

Green envy

Type: Hybrid

These tomatoes are unique as compared to others. This is because while most tomatoes are red, these are actually deep green or emerald in color. They are also very sweet and juicy, even though the green color in other tomatoes indicates unripe fruit.

The green envy plants produce fruit all throughout summer up until autumn. Although sweet and juicy, these tomatoes are quite firm and meaty-like in texture. They always give a light and fresh feel to all dishes.

These tomatoes are usually great for grilling or toasting and are a nice addition to salads. The green envy plant grows about 63 to 67 inches tall and is able to produce fruit in just 60 to 70 days.

Make sure to use a cage if you feel like the weight of new fruit burdens your plant.

Italian Ice

Type: Hybrid

The Italian Ice plant is another hybrid that produces queer, unique-looking tomatoes.

Just as the name suggests, these cherry tomatoes are nearly white in color and measure about 1 inch in diameter.

The Italian Ice plant is quite prolific and produces large and overflowing clusters.

The entire plant grows up to 60 to 72 inches. The tomatoes ripen in about 65 days. These cherry tomatoes are great for cooling salads, snacks, relish, pasta, and even fruit bowls. The sweet yet slightly acidic flavor is the reason why it compliments these dishes so well.

Midnight snack

Type: Hybrid

These tomatoes look like the night sky and are really deep purple in color. The plant yields purple fruit with olive green combinations under direct sunlight.

The purple tint is due to the antioxidants packed inside this fruit. The fruits are about 1½ inch in size when mature. The tomatoes are meaty and flavorful with a distinct taste perfect for salads or grilling.

The entire plant can reach a height of about 72 to 84 inches, which is quite tall as compared to most other varieties. The vines yield fruit in about 65 to 70 days.

Mirabelle Blanche

Type: Heirloom

The Mirabelle Blanche produces fruit that is quite on the sunny side. The fruit is a beautiful pinkish-yellow color with a nice sweet and acidic taste.

The plant yields massive clusters of fruit. They are popular in salads, for grilling, and even dehydrating.

The vines grow 40 to 48 inches tall, and the fruits yield in 75 to 80 days.

Orange Sunsugar

Type: Hybrid

The orange-colored tomatoes of this plant are very sweet and almost an inch in diameter.

The cherry tomatoes of this plant are packed with vitamin A and are generally very resistant to cracks and diseases.

The plant can grow almost 84 to 108 inches tall when mature. The fruit matures in about 62 days.

Power Pops

Type: Hybrid

This plant produces deep red tomatoes that are an inch across. They mature faster than other varieties of cherry tomatoes.

The vines are smaller and only grow to about 9 to 12 inches tall. This plant, therefore, is great for containers and hanging baskets.

The fruits are ready to harvest in just 45 days and are great in regions that experience shorter summers.

Sunchocola

Type: Hybrid

This plant produces brick-red, one-inch fruits that are juicy, smoky, yet sweet. Large clusters are produced throughout the summer.

These tomatoes can be eaten as is and can even be grilled. They are also popular choices for sun-drying and dehydration.

The plant grows about 70 inches tall, and fruits mature in about 67 days. Although disease-resistant, they might need physical support when burdened with fruit.

Sungold

Type: Hybrid

These, too, produce one-inch orange-colored fruits. This super prolific plant produces tons of clusters with flavorful fruit and has a sweet, tropical taste yet firm texture.

You can eat these cherry tomatoes as is, grill them or toss them in salads. The plants grow about 48 to 60 inches tall, and fruits mature within 57 days.

Caging and staking are a must. These plants are disease-resistant.

Supersweet 100

Type: Hybrid

The very tasty and sweet bright red cherry tomatoes on this plant are one inch in size and oval in shape. These tomatoes are great ingredients for salsas, salads, snacks, juices, and grilled dishes.

The plant bears fruit all throughout the summer. The vines grow 90 to 144 inches tall and are highly prolific.

It is resistant to common diseases and definitely requires staking after fruits start appearing in 65 days.

Sweetie

Type: Organic heirloom

As the name suggests, the fruits of this plant are definitely very sweet. The bright red tomatoes produced by this plant look like 1 to 2-inch globes.

They are a great addition to juices, can be grilled, and are even great snacks. When fully grown, the plant is 48 to 60 inches tall, and fruits yield in 65 to 70 days.

The plants need to be staked or caged and are resistant to stem canker.

Yellow Pear

Type: Heirloom

These tomatoes literally look like yellow pears. The fruits are 1 to 2 inches large with a subtle sweet taste.

The fruits ripen in 80 days, while vines can grow about 90 inches tall. They most definitely require staking or caging.

The seeds of this plant are usually collected for propagation. These tomatoes are usually consumed fresh, grilled, or preserved.


Final Thoughts

We hope you now have a deeper understanding of cherry tomatoes and their different varieties. You can now decide which varieties are best suited for your space or garden. You can also consider indoor planting if you are aware of the gardening methods.

Going for two to three different varieties is also a great idea. This will help you get snacks that are different in both color and taste and will only make mealtimes more fun! Happy planting!

FAQs

Are cherry tomatoes healthier than normal tomatoes?

Cherry tomatoes are simply smaller, miniature versions of regular tomatoes. They both pack the same nutrients and provide similar health benefits. The only difference is probably the portion size since cherry tomatoes are smaller, and there are fewer calories in one cherry tomato as compared to a larger, regular tomato.

What is the difference between cherry tomatoes and regular tomatoes?

The main difference is size. Cherry tomatoes are smaller, rounder, and have fewer calories in one fruit. They are also higher in water content as compared to regular tomatoes.

Where do cherry tomatoes grow best?

Cherry tomatoes grow best in a garden with direct sunlight during summers. They can also be grown in pots and containers, but it is necessary to make sure they get enough sunlight to thrive.

Can cherry tomatoes be grown in pots?

Yes, cherry tomatoes can be grown in pots. Determinate varieties are the best for this since they grow to be only as tall as bushes. You can also pot your plants in hanging baskets and containers.

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