Chocolate Stripes
Solanum lycopersicum 'Chocolate Stripes'
A stunning heirloom that turns heads with its dramatic mahogany-red fruits adorned with distinctive dark green stripes that create an almost artistic appearance. Beyond its remarkable beauty, this variety delivers complex, rich flavors with wine-like depth that makes every bite memorable. Perfect for gardeners who want to grow something truly unique that performs as beautifully as it looks.
Harvest
85-95d
Days to harvest
Sun
Full sun
Zones
10–10
USDA hardiness
Height
1-10 feet
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Chocolate Stripes in USDA Zone 7
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Chocolate Stripes · 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 | — | August – 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 |
| Zone 1 | May – May | July – August | — | October – August |
| Zone 2 | April – May | June – July | — | October – September |
| Zone 11 | January – January | January – February | — | May – July |
| Zone 12 | January – January | January – February | — | May – July |
| Zone 13 | January – January | January – February | — | May – July |
Complete Growing Guide
With an 85–95 day maturity window, start seeds 6–8 weeks before your last frost to ensure adequate time for fruit development and flavor maturation. This heirloom demands consistently warm soil and air temperatures; avoid planting until nighttime lows reach at least 60°F, as cold stress stalls growth and delays ripening. Chocolate Stripes exhibits moderate vigor but can become leggy in insufficient light, so provide full sun and sturdy support early. The variety shows slight susceptibility to early blight, particularly when foliage remains wet; water at soil level only and maintain good air circulation through judicious pruning. Unlike fast-growing hybrid varieties, Chocolate Stripes rewards patience—resist harvesting at the first color break and allow fruits to fully mature on the vine for optimal complex flavor development. The rich mahogany base color with dark stripes indicates peak ripeness, not the lighter red stages.
Light: Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day). Soil: Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt), Sand. Soil pH: Acid (<6.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0). Drainage: Good Drainage, Moist. 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
Chocolate Stripes tomatoes reach peak harvest readiness when the mahogany-red base color deepens to a rich burgundy and the dark green stripes begin to fade slightly, indicating full sugar development. Gently squeeze the fruit—it should yield slightly to pressure without feeling mushy, and the tomato should detach easily from the vine with a light twist. This variety benefits from continuous harvesting throughout the season rather than waiting for all fruits to ripen simultaneously, which encourages the indeterminate plant to produce more blooms. For optimal flavor complexity, resist the urge to pick tomatoes at the first blush of color; instead, allow them an extra 3-5 days on the vine after reaching mature size, as this extended ripening period develops the characteristic wine-like depth that defines this heirloom.
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
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 freshly harvested Chocolate Stripes tomatoes at room temperature (68–72°F) away from direct sunlight to preserve their complex flavor profile. Avoid refrigeration, which dulls the wine-like notes characteristic of this variety. Use shallow containers lined with paper to prevent bruising, and maintain moderate humidity. Fresh tomatoes will keep for up to two weeks at proper room temperature.
For preservation, freezing works well for cooked applications—blanch, peel, and freeze whole or quartered. Canning is suitable for sauce or salsa, though slow roasting and drying intensifies their rich, concentrated flavors beautifully. Fermentation is another option; the deep color and complexity develop intriguing depth over several weeks.
Given their striking appearance and gourmet reputation, prioritize using these fresh within days of harvest for showcase presentations and specialty dishes where their visual drama and balanced sweetness shine brightest.
History & Origin
The precise origins of Chocolate Stripes remain obscure in commercial seed catalogs and horticultural records, though the variety represents a lineage of striped heirloom tomatoes that gained prominence among seed savers and specialty growers during the late twentieth-century heirloom revival. Like many dramatic color-break varieties, it likely emerged from either spontaneous mutation within existing mahogany or brown tomato lines, or from deliberate crossing experiments by home gardeners and small seed companies seeking novel visual traits. The variety's documentation is thin regarding specific breeders or introduction dates, but it reflects the broader heritage tradition of tomato breeding where dramatic striping patterns—such as those seen in varieties like Tigerella and Green Zebra—have been selectively preserved and shared within gardening communities.
Origin: Peru
Advantages
- +Striking mahogany-red fruits with dark green stripes offer exceptional ornamental garden appeal
- +Complex, wine-like flavor profile delivers memorable taste that justifies growing space
- +85-95 day maturity allows season completion in most climates without rushing
- +Heirloom genetics mean seeds can be saved for future seasons
Considerations
- -Moderate to difficult cultivation requires experience managing disease and pest pressure
- -Susceptible to late blight, early blight, and fusarium wilt in poor conditions
- -Fruits crack easily during wet conditions, reducing marketability and storage quality
- -Requires consistent moisture and optimal soil conditions to prevent problems
Companion Plants
Basil and marigolds are worth prioritizing. Basil shares vertical space without much root competition, and marigolds (Tagetes spp.) produce thiophenes from their roots that suppress root-knot nematodes — a real concern for Solanums in dense or clay-heavy soils. Nasturtiums pull double duty as a trap crop for aphids, drawing them off the tomatoes. Keep fennel and Brassicas out: fennel produces allelopathic compounds that stunt tomato root development, and Brassicas share enough soil-borne pathogens with Solanums to make the pairing a quiet liability. Corn gets cut too — both are heavy nitrogen feeders, and corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea) crosses over to tomato fruit without much hesitation.
Plant Together
Basil
Repels aphids and whiteflies, may improve tomato flavor and growth
Marigolds
Deter nematodes and aphids while attracting beneficial insects
Carrots
Help break up soil for tomato roots and don't compete for nutrients
Parsley
Attracts beneficial insects and may improve tomato flavor
Chives
Repel aphids and may help prevent fungal diseases
Nasturtiums
Act as trap crop for aphids and cucumber beetles
Oregano
Repels insects and may enhance tomato growth and flavor
Lettuce
Benefits from tomato shade and doesn't compete for deep nutrients
Keep Apart
Black Walnut
Produces juglone which is toxic to tomatoes and causes wilt
Brassicas
Compete for similar nutrients and may stunt tomato growth
Fennel
Inhibits growth of tomatoes through allelopathic compounds
Corn
Both attract corn earworms and compete for similar nutrients
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #321360)
Pests & Disease Resistance
Resistance
Limited disease resistance typical of heirlooms. Requires good cultural practices for disease prevention.
Common Pests
Tomato hornworm, aphids, spider mites, thrips
Diseases
Late blight, early blight, fusarium wilt, cracking in wet conditions
Troubleshooting Chocolate Stripes
What you'll see, why it happens, and what to do about it.
Large gray-green patches spreading across foliage rapidly, with dark sunken spots appearing on fruit — can take out a plant in 3–5 days
Likely Causes
- Late blight (Phytophthora infestans) — a water mold, not a true fungus, that spreads fast in cool, wet weather
- Overhead irrigation or prolonged leaf wetness keeping foliage damp for hours at a time
What to Do
- 1.Pull and bag infected plants immediately — do not compost them; late blight spreads to neighboring plants fast
- 2.Switch to drip irrigation or water at the base to keep foliage dry
- 3.Per NC State Extension guidance, rotate tomatoes out of that bed for at least 3–4 years, or 5–7 if disease pressure has been heavy
Lower leaves developing brown bullseye-ringed spots with yellow halos, starting around day 45–50 after transplant
Likely Causes
- Early blight (Alternaria solani) — soil-borne fungus that splashes up onto lower leaves during rain or irrigation
- Dense canopy with poor airflow, especially once plants hit 4–5 feet
What to Do
- 1.Strip affected lower leaves and throw them in the trash, not the compost pile
- 2.Lay 3–4 inches of straw mulch under the plants to stop soil splash
- 3.Space transplants at least 24–36 inches apart and keep suckers pruned so air can move through
Fruit splitting open radially or concentrically after a heavy rain, especially on nearly ripe fruit
Likely Causes
- Irregular watering — a dry spell followed by a sudden large rain or irrigation causes rapid internal expansion faster than the skin can stretch
- Heirloom skin genetics — Chocolate Stripes, like most beefsteak-type heirlooms, has thinner skin than hybrid varieties bred for crack resistance
What to Do
- 1.Water consistently — aim for 1–1.5 inches per week and don't let the soil dry out more than an inch deep between waterings
- 2.Pick fruit at first blush of color and let it finish on the counter; fully vine-ripe fruit splits fastest when a storm hits
- 3.Mulch to 3–4 inches deep to buffer soil moisture swings between dry stretches and heavy rain
Frequently Asked Questions
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Growing Guides from Wind River Greens
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Sources & References
External authority sources used in compiling this guide.
See the Methodology page for how this data is sourced, what's AI-assisted, and known limitations.