Brandywine Tomato
Solanum lycopersicum
We describe Brandywine's luscious, heirloom flavor as "very rich, loud, and distinctively spicy." The large fruits, often over 1 lb., have a deep pink skin and smooth red flesh. The medium-tall, potato-leaf plant is best staked or caged. Our 'Quisenberry' strain is considered among the best. Indeterminate. USDA Certified Organic.
Harvest
78d
Days to harvest
Sun
Blossom-End Rot of Tomato
Zones
10–11
USDA hardiness
Height
1-10 feet
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Brandywine Tomato in USDA Zone 10
All Zone 10 fruit-tree →Zone Map
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Brandywine Tomato · Zones 10–11
Growing Details
Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar
| Zone | Indoor Start | Transplant | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 10 | — | March – April | — | May – December |
Complete Growing Guide
Light: Blossom-End Rot of Tomato, Pepper, and Watermelon. Soil: Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt), Sand. Soil pH: Acid (<6.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0). Drainage: Good Drainage, Moist. Water: Blossom-End Rot of Tomato, Pepper, and Watermelon. Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.. Spread: 1 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.. Spacing: 3 feet-6 feet. Growth rate: Rapid. Maintenance: High. Propagation: Seed. Regions: Coastal, Mountains, Piedmont.
Harvesting
The fruits are smooth, shiny, glossy, and are classified as berries. The size, shape, and color will vary depending on the variety or cultivar. The color of the fruits may be red, yellow, orange, green, purple, or pink. The fruits may contain over 100 yellow to light brown seeds.
Color: Gold/Yellow, Green, Orange, Pink, Purple/Lavender, Red/Burgundy, Variegated. Type: Berry. Length: > 3 inches. Width: > 3 inches.
Garden value: Edible, Showy
Harvest time: Fall, Summer
Bloom time: Fall, Summer
Edibility: The fruits or berries of the tomato are edible. They may be eaten raw, cooked, dried, or processed. They are a rich source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, folic acid, and antioxidants. Lycopene is an antioxidant that gives the tomato its rich red color. Many plants will drop fruit when ripe or the fruit will come off easily. Tomatoes will continue to ripen once picked. Store them at room temperature.
Storage & Preservation
Fresh Brandywine tomatoes store best at room temperature, stem-side down, where they'll continue ripening and maintain optimal flavor. Refrigeration destroys their complex taste, so only refrigerate fully ripe fruits you can't use within 2-3 days.
For preservation, Brandywines excel in canning applications due to their rich flavor and meaty texture. Their low water content makes exceptional tomato sauce, paste, and whole canned tomatoes. Process according to USDA guidelines, adding lemon juice or citric acid for safe acidity levels.
Freezing works well for cooking applications – blanch and peel whole tomatoes, or roast and freeze in portions. Dehydrating concentrates their intense flavor into spectacular sun-dried tomatoes. Cut into ½-inch slices, lightly salt, and dehydrate at 135°F for 8-12 hours until leathery but pliable.
History & Origin
Brandywine tomatoes trace their lineage to the Pennsylvania Amish community, where they've been carefully preserved since the 1880s. The variety takes its name from Brandywine Creek, which flows through southeastern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware, the heart of traditional Amish farming country.
This heirloom was introduced to commercial seed catalogs by Johnson & Stokes of Philadelphia in 1889, though it had been grown by Amish families for decades prior. The variety gained legendary status among seed savers when Ben Quisenberry, a tomato collector from Ohio, obtained seeds from an Amish family and helped preserve the line through the mid-20th century.
Brandywine represents the epitome of what tomatoes tasted like before commercial breeding prioritized shelf life and uniform appearance over flavor. Its preservation through Amish communities, who traditionally save their own seeds, maintained the variety's genetic integrity and exceptional taste that made it the gold standard against which all other heirloom tomatoes are measured.
Advantages
- +Attracts: Bees, Pollinators, Predatory Insects
- +Wildlife value: The plant is pollinated by bees, especially bumblebees.
- +Edible: The fruits or berries of the tomato are edible. They may be eaten raw, cooked, dried, or processed. They are a rich source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, folic acid, and antioxidants. Lycopene is an antioxidant that gives the tomato its rich red color. Many plants will drop fruit when ripe or the fruit will come off easily. Tomatoes will continue to ripen once picked. Store them at room temperature.
- +Fast-growing
Considerations
- -Toxic (Leaves, Stems): Medium severity
- -High maintenance
Companion Plants
Plant Together
Basil
Repels aphids, spider mites, and hornworms while potentially improving tomato flavor
Marigold
Deters nematodes, aphids, and whiteflies with natural pest-repelling compounds
Carrots
Loosens soil around tomato roots and doesn't compete for nutrients
Parsley
Attracts beneficial insects like hoverflies and parasitic wasps that control pests
Nasturtium
Acts as trap crop for aphids and cucumber beetles, draws pests away from tomatoes
Oregano
Repels aphids and provides ground cover while attracting beneficial pollinators
Chives
Deters aphids and may help prevent fungal diseases with natural sulfur compounds
Lettuce
Provides living mulch and utilizes space efficiently without competing for nutrients
Keep Apart
Black Walnut
Produces juglone toxin that causes tomato wilt and stunted growth
Fennel
Releases allelopathic compounds that inhibit tomato growth and development
Corn
Both attract corn earworm/tomato hornworm and compete for similar nutrients and space
Brassicas
Heavy nitrogen feeders that compete with tomatoes and may stunt growth
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #168171)
Pests & Disease Resistance
Resistance
Limited resistance, typical of heirlooms. Prone to cracking in wet weather.
Common Pests
Tomato hornworm, aphids, whiteflies
Diseases
Late blight, early blight, fusarium wilt, blossom end rot