Sun Gold
Solanum lycopersicum
Exceptionally sweet, bright tangerine-orange cherry tomatoes leave everyone begging for more. Vigorous plants start yielding early and bear right through the season. Tendency to split precludes shipping, making these an exclusively fresh-market treat. The taste can't be beat. 15-20 gm. fruits. Indeterminate.
Harvest
57d
Days to harvest
Sun
Blossom-End Rot of Tomato
Zones
10–11
USDA hardiness
Height
1-10 feet
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Sun Gold in USDA Zone 7
All Zone 7 tomato →Zone Map
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Sun Gold · Zones 10–11
Growing Details
Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar
| Zone | Indoor Start | Transplant | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | April – April | June – July | — | August – October |
| Zone 4 | March – April | June – June | — | August – October |
| Zone 5 | March – March | May – June | — | July – September |
| Zone 6 | March – March | May – June | — | July – September |
| Zone 7 | February – March | April – May | — | June – August |
| Zone 8 | February – February | April – May | — | June – August |
| Zone 9 | January – January | March – April | — | May – July |
| Zone 10 | January – January | February – March | — | April – June |
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 Sun Gold tomatoes at room temperature for maximum flavor—refrigeration kills their exceptional sweetness and tropical notes. They'll keep 3-5 days on the counter, longer if picked slightly underripe. For extended storage, place stem-side down on a towel away from direct sunlight.
Due to their thin skins and high sugar content, Sun Gold tomatoes are challenging to preserve. Freezing works best: remove stems and freeze whole in freezer bags for later use in sauces (skins slip off easily after thawing). Their high moisture content makes them unsuitable for traditional canning or drying.
For unique preservation, try making Sun Gold tomato ice cream, fruit leather, or jam—their candy-like sweetness shines in dessert applications. Some gardeners successfully ferment them into sweet tomato wine, though the process requires careful attention to sugar levels.
History & Origin
Sun Gold was developed by Tokita Seeds of Japan in the early 1990s, part of their groundbreaking work creating exceptionally sweet cherry tomato varieties. The variety was introduced to North American gardeners in the mid-1990s through specialty seed companies and quickly gained a cult following among home gardeners and chefs.
Tokita's breeding program focused on maximizing sugar content and minimizing acidity, creating tomatoes that taste more like candy than traditional vegetables. Sun Gold represented a breakthrough in achieving tropical fruit flavors in tomato form, with Brix levels (sugar content) reaching 8-10, nearly double that of standard tomatoes.
The variety's popularity exploded through farmer's markets and high-end restaurants in the early 2000s, where chefs prized its unique flavor profile and striking orange color. Today, Sun Gold is considered the gold standard for cherry tomatoes, consistently winning taste tests and converting tomato skeptics. Its success spawned numerous imitations and inspired continued breeding efforts toward ultra-sweet cherry varieties, though few match Sun Gold's perfect balance of sweetness, productivity, and disease resistance.
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, whiteflies, and tomato hornworms while potentially improving tomato flavor
Marigold
Deters nematodes, aphids, and whiteflies with natural pest-repelling compounds
Parsley
Attracts beneficial insects like hoverflies and parasitic wasps that control tomato pests
Carrots
Loosens soil around tomato roots and doesn't compete for nutrients due to different root depths
Nasturtium
Acts as trap crop for aphids and cucumber beetles while repelling whiteflies
Chives
Repels aphids and may help prevent fungal diseases with natural sulfur compounds
Borage
Attracts pollinators and beneficial predators while potentially improving tomato growth and flavor
Oregano
Repels various pests and provides ground cover that helps retain soil moisture
Keep Apart
Black Walnut
Releases juglone toxin that causes wilting and stunted growth in tomatoes
Fennel
Produces allelopathic compounds that inhibit tomato growth and development
Brassicas
Compete for similar nutrients and may stunt tomato growth when planted too close
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #321360)
Pests & Disease Resistance
Resistance
Fusarium Wilt races 1 (High); Tobacco Mosaic Virus (High)
Common Pests
Aphids, whiteflies, spider mites, birds (attracted to sweet fruit)
Diseases
Late blight, early blight, cracking during heavy rains