Brandywine Red
Solanum lycopersicum 'Brandywine Red'
The gold standard of heirloom beefsteak tomatoes, Brandywine Red has been captivating gardeners since the 1880s with its extraordinary flavor and massive size. These pink-red giants can weigh over a pound each and offer the perfect balance of sweet and acidic notes that define what a tomato should taste like. A true slice-and-serve variety that transforms any sandwich or salad into a gourmet experience.
Harvest
85-100d
Days to harvest
Sun
Blossom-End Rot of Tomato
Zones
10–10
USDA hardiness
Height
1-10 feet
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Brandywine Red in USDA Zone 7
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Brandywine Red · Zones 10–10
Growing Details
Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar
| Zone | Indoor Start | Transplant | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | April – April | June – July | — | September – October |
| Zone 4 | March – April | June – June | — | September – October |
| Zone 5 | March – March | May – June | — | September – October |
| Zone 6 | March – March | May – June | — | August – October |
| Zone 7 | February – March | April – May | — | August – October |
| Zone 8 | February – February | April – May | — | July – September |
| Zone 9 | January – January | March – April | — | June – August |
| Zone 10 | January – January | February – March | — | June – August |
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
Store ripe Brandywine Red tomatoes at room temperature away from direct sunlight—refrigeration kills their exceptional flavor. Properly harvested fruits last 3-5 days on the counter, though their delicate skin makes them more perishable than commercial varieties.
For longer storage, harvest fruits showing first blush of color and ripen indoors in a warm spot. Wrap individually in newspaper to prevent contact bruising.
Brandywine's incredible flavor makes it perfect for freezing whole or in chunks for winter sauces—simply core and freeze in portions. The texture becomes soft after thawing, making frozen fruits ideal for cooked applications despite being primarily a fresh-eating variety. Avoid water-bath canning due to potentially low acidity levels in some fruits. Consider making and pressure-canning Brandywine tomato sauce to preserve that incomparable flavor through winter months.
History & Origin
Brandywine Red traces its lineage to the 1880s, making it one of America's oldest and most revered heirloom tomatoes. The variety originated from the Brandywine Creek region of Pennsylvania, developed by Amish farmers who carefully selected and saved seeds for superior flavor and size.
This tomato gained legendary status through the work of Seed Savers Exchange founder Diane Whealy, who received seeds from Dorris Sudduth Hill of Ohio in the 1980s. Hill's family had grown the variety since the 1930s, maintaining its genetic purity through careful seed saving.
Brandywine became the gold standard against which all other heirloom tomatoes are measured, single-handedly sparking the heirloom tomato revival of the 1990s. Its extraordinary flavor—described by food writers as 'what tomatoes used to taste like'—demonstrated the dramatic difference between industrial hybrids and carefully maintained heritage varieties. Today, Brandywine Red remains the most sought-after heirloom variety, with multiple color variants developed from the original pink-red strain.
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 and whiteflies, may improve tomato flavor
Marigold
Deters nematodes and whiteflies with natural compounds
Nasturtium
Acts as trap crop for aphids and cucumber beetles
Parsley
Attracts beneficial insects like hoverflies and parasitic wasps
Carrots
Loosens soil for tomato roots and doesn't compete for nutrients
Oregano
Repels aphids and spider mites while attracting pollinators
Chives
Repels aphids and may help prevent fungal diseases
Borage
Attracts beneficial insects and may improve tomato growth
Keep Apart
Black Walnut
Produces juglone toxin that causes tomato wilt and stunting
Fennel
Inhibits growth through allelopathic compounds
Brassicas
Compete for nutrients and may stunt tomato growth
Corn
Both attract corn earworm, increasing pest pressure
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #321360)
Pests & Disease Resistance
Resistance
Poor disease resistance typical of heirlooms. Susceptible to cracking, blight, and wilt diseases.
Common Pests
Tomato hornworm, aphids, cutworms, whiteflies
Diseases
Late blight, early blight, fusarium wilt, verticillium wilt, blossom end rot