Brandywine
Heirloom tomato · Solanum lycopersicum · introduced 1889
- Breeding
- Heirloom
- Growth habit
- Indeterminate
- Days to maturity
- 80-100 days
- Fruit
- pink, beefsteak
- Weight
- 12-24 oz
- Bred by
- -
Also known as
| Name | Kind | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Brandywine (Pink) | Synonym | Disambiguating form used where several Brandywines are offered. |
Commonly confused with
These are different varieties. A name shared between them does not make them the same seed.
- different variety
Red Brandywine
A separate red-fruited, regular-leaf Brandywine line, not a colour variant of the pink one.
- different variety
Yellow Brandywine
A distinct potato-leaf yellow-orange beefsteak, not the pink Brandywine.
- different variety
OTV Brandywine
OTV is a stabilised chance cross found in a trial garden, not the original Brandywine.
- different variety
Brandywine, Sudduth's Strain
Sudduth's is a specific preserved strain; generic Brandywine seed may be any line.
Origin & history
The most famous American heirloom tomato: a pink beefsteak associated with Amish growers and first commercialized by Johnson & Stokes of Philadelphia in 1889. Its potato-leaf vines and rich, intense flavor made it the benchmark against which heirloom taste is still measured.
Measurements
| Measurement | Value | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Days to maturity | 80-100 days | Consensus range across the cited sources, which include both independent references and commercial catalogs. |
| Fruit weight | 12-24 oz | Typical range for the cultivar, as a consensus across the cited sources. Not a measured mean from any single crop: fruit weight varies with season, spacing and where on the plant the fruit set. |
Traits
Disease resistance
No documented disease resistance, typical of heirlooms and older open-pollinated varieties. See tomato diseases for the cultural playbook that fills the gap.
Related varieties
- heirloom
Aunt Ginny's Purple
78-85 days · Indeterminate
- heirloom
Brandywine, Sudduth's Strain
85-95 days · Indeterminate
- heirloom
Hungarian Heart
80-85 days · Indeterminate
- heirloom
Marianna's Peace
85-90 days · Indeterminate
- heirloom
Mortgage Lifter
80-85 days · Indeterminate
- heirloom
Omar's Lebanese
80-90 days · Indeterminate
Head to head
Explore all tomato varieties · compare any two · when to plant it where you are
Sources & References
Evidence: 4 sources, including 1 independent reference.
- Seed Savers Exchange catalog & variety histories · Seed Savers Exchange, Community Collection
- Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds catalog · Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co., Seed Catalog
- Tomato Growers Supply catalog · Tomato Growers Supply Company, Seed Catalog
- Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners · Cornell University Cooperative Extension, University or Government