my favorite last year was black cherry and riesentraube, but this year I love the yellow one called blondkopfchen, it is very tangy then sweet, I have seeds of both if you would like some. I don't know if punta bunta is considered a cherry, it's a bigger cherry if so, but it sure is a prolific producer, I have some of that one too if you need some. I have lots of tom seeds if you want to check out my list, vickie

"sugar"

which is different than "sugar lump"

Besser .. Should've been called Bestest... If it's a red cherry that you're looking for, I highly Suggestus.

Black Cherry is very good, but Brown Berry is better ;-)

It turns out that neither Black Cherry nor Brown Berry are heirlooms. Both are recent developments/

Black Cherry was bred by Vince Sapp, the husband of Linda Sapp of Tomato Growers Supply. Vince died last summer.

Brown Berry was bred by Sahin Seeds in Holland, as was Bloody Butcher, Summer Cider and some others.

As for just ONE favorite heirloom cherry I think I'd pick Galina, a lovely PL with deep gold fruits from Siberia first introduced by Bill McDorman of High Altitude/Seeds Trust.

Carolyn

So does that make Black Cherry a "new" heirloom (contradiciton in terms)? Is it an heirloom-to-be, or just another hybrid?

Well, an OP "heirloom type" sounds like something that's not round and red, and that's what Black Cherry and Brown Berry are...not round or red. (smile)

So does that make Black Cherry a "new" heirloom (contradiciton in terms)? Is it an heirloom-to-be, or just another hybrid?

********

No, Black Cherry is not a hybrid, it's OP.

There's more than one definition of what the word heirloom means when referring to tomato varieties.

Most definitions say that the variety should be OP and most say that the variety should have been around quite a few years. One common definition says before 1940 b/c after that date hybrids became available to the public.

Another popular definition says the variety should be around for 50 years, so it's a sliding scale. Not an heirloom this year, but it beomes an heirloom next year, if you will.

Another definition says it should be a variety passed down within a family from generation to generation. And that can be added to either of the two definitions I mentioned above if you wish/

Another definition says that an heirloom is any variety treasured, but that is not a definition used by many.

So take your pick. ( smile)

It's a controversial issue and I've given you some different definitions, but it's nothing that I personally want to discuss in detail.

Black Cherry and Brown Berry were both bred within the last five years or so which would not make them heirlooms by anyones definition other than those who say that an heirloom is something treasured. And there are darn few folks who adhere to that definition which actually I think was first suggested by Tom Wagner, the breeder of Green Grape, Green Zebra, Lime Green Salad, Greenwich and a few others.

Carolyn