Cherry tomato
Small tomato variety intermediate between wild and domesticated types.
The cherry tomato is a small, round fruit that sits genetically between wild currant-type tomatoes and the larger domesticated garden tomato. Officially classified as *Solanum lycopersicum* var. *cerasiforme*, its size ranges from about the tip of a thumb to a golf ball, and its shape can be spherical or slightly oblong. While red is the most common color, varieties also come in orange, yellow, green, purple, and black. Oblong cherry tomatoes share traits with plum tomatoes and are often called grape tomatoes.
The wild ancestors of all cultivated tomatoes, including the cherry, are native to western South America—specifically the Andes and coastal areas of Peru, Ecuador, and northern Chile. These wild species, such as *Solanum pimpinellifolium*, naturally produce small, cherry-sized fruits. The tomato was first domesticated in the Puebla-Veracruz region of Mexico, likely from small-fruited wild or semi-domesticated plants that resembled modern cherry tomatoes. Over thousands of years, Mesoamerican peoples selectively bred these plants; some lineages grew into larger varieties, while others kept the small fruit size that defines cherry tomatoes.
The first European mention of cherry tomatoes appears in 1623, in Swiss botanist Caspar Bauhin’s *Pinax theatri botanici*. In a section on nightshades, Bauhin described a variety he called *Solanum racemosum cerasorum forma*, meaning “Solanum full of clusters, in the shape of cherries.”
Cherry tomatoes have been popular in the United States since at least 1919, and recipes using them appear in articles from 1967 onward. In the 1970s, Israeli agricultural scientists developed commercial novelty varieties. Nathan Goldenberg proposed the idea to Professors Nahum Kedar and Haim Rabinowitch at Hebrew University’s Faculty of Agriculture, who were already working on heat-tolerant tomatoes with extended shelf life as part of government initiatives. The resulting cherry tomato cultivars had different flavors, longer shelf life, and traits better suited for packaging and transport. They gained popularity in the late 1980s, with sales peaking in 1992. In the following decades, researchers worldwide created many more improved varieties, and cherry tomatoes’ global popularity continued to rise.
Heritage and traditional varieties remain close to ancestral small-fruited types. Matt’s Wild Cherry has very small red fruits and clo
- botanical_variety
- Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme
- size_range
- thumbtip to golf ball
- colors
- red, orange, yellow, green, purple, black
- first_european_documentation
- 1623 by Caspar Bauhin
- known_for
- small round fruit, intermediate between wild and domesticated tomatoes
Lore & Background
Cherry tomatoes are closely related to the wild ancestral forms of all cultivated tomatoes. Wild tomatoes (Solanum pimpinellifolium and related species) naturally produce small, cherry-sized fruits and are native to western South America, particularly the Andes region and coastal areas of Peru, Ecuador, and northern Chile. The tomato is thought to have been first domesticated in the Puebla-Veracruz region of Mexico, likely arriving from South America in the form of small-fruited wild or semi-domesticated varieties that resembled modern cherry tomatoes. Over thousands of years, indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica selectively bred these small tomatoes, with some lineages developing into larger varieties while others maintained the small fruit size characteristic of cherry tomatoes.
The first direct reference to cherry tomatoes in European literature appears in 1623, in Pinax theatri botanici by Swiss botanist Caspar Bauhin, who wrote of a variety called Solanum racemosum cerasorum forma. Cherry tomatoes have been popular in the United States since at least 1919, with recipes dating back to 1967. In the 1970s, Israeli agricultural scientists developed commercial novelty varieties, building upon existing genetics to create cultivars better suited for modern production and export. These varieties gained popularity in the late 1980s, with sales peaking in 1992.
Reader's Guide
Cherry tomatoes represent a key link in the domestication history of the tomato, serving as an intermediate genetic admixture between wild currant-type tomatoes and domesticated garden tomatoes. Their small size and genetic diversity preserve traits from wild ancestors, making them valuable for understanding tomato evolution and breeding. The 1970s work by Israeli scientists Nathan Goldenberg, Nahum Kedar, and Haim Rabinowitch advanced plant breeding techniques, developing varieties with extended shelf life and favorable commercial characteristics. This work helped popularize cherry tomatoes globally, with numerous improved varieties developed by researchers worldwide in subsequent decades. Heritage varieties like Matt's Wild Cherry and Red Currant maintain close genetic relationships to wild species, while modern hybrids such as Super Sweet 100 and Sungold are selected for uniformity, disease resistance, and shipping durability. The cherry tomato's significance lies in its dual role as both a living genetic archive of tomato domestication and a commercially successful modern crop that continues to evolve through breeding.
Did You Know?
- Cherry tomatoes are believed to be an intermediate genetic admixture between wild currant-type tomatoes and domesticated garden tomatoes.
- The first direct reference to cherry tomatoes in European literature appears in 1623 by Swiss botanist Caspar Bauhin.
- In the 1970s, Israeli agricultural scientists developed commercial novelty varieties of cherry tomatoes, with sales peaking in 1992.
- Cherry tomatoes range in color from red, orange, yellow, green, purple, to black.
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