Any other tomatoes grown by American Indians besides Cherokee?

lakelady · July 6, 2013

I am seeing someone next weekend who is part Lenape Indian, a tribe that roamed this area of NJ long ago. Apparently he is an avid gardener, and I think it would be pretty neat if I could tell him about another tomato besides Cherokee as he seems very interested in knowing more about the heirlooms. Are there any others anyone knows of ?

livinonfaith · July 6, 2013

Antoinette, I think there are a couple of them at Native seeds. (But some of them seem to be ones that just grow well in the Southwest, so I'm not sure.)

That is a great place to go for all kinds of Southwestern seeds, many of which were apparently cultivated by Native Americans in the area. The beans seeds, in particular, are really interesting!

Here is the link to their shop. http://shop.nativeseeds.org/pages/seeds

Redbaron · July 6, 2013

I am growing Sioux, it isn't developed by Sioux (University of Nebraska 1944), but it is named in honor.

JamesL · July 6, 2013

Antoinette,
Only anecdotal evidence that CP was actually grown by Cherokee's. But Carolyn or Craig himself (nctomatoman) can tell you more about that.
I don't know that any were actually cultivated by Native Americans. Wild versions probably, stabilized versions, probably not.

spacetogrow · July 6, 2013

No help with tomatoes, but my understanding is that a variety of pole bean called Blue Shackamaxon was given to the Quakers in what is now Pennsylvania by the Lenape people. For this reason, it is also called Treaty Bean.

livinonfaith · July 6, 2013

James, seems like I have heard that about Cherokee Purple, too, but don't know for sure.

One of the varieties at native seeds is listed as a wild type from Texas, so that one should be similar to, if not actually one of, the ones used by Early Native Americans in that area. The other that I was thinking of as a possibility is actually a semi-cultivated one from Mexico.

All of the others seem to be more modern. Heirlooms of the area, but it doesn't actually say that the families that grew them out for years are Native American. So, hard to say.

July 6, 2013	#1
lakelady Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: northern NJ zone 6b Posts: 1,862	Any other tomatoes grown by American Indians besides Cherokee? I am seeing someone next weekend who is part Lenape Indian, a tribe that roamed this area of NJ long ago. Apparently he is an avid gardener, and I think it would be pretty neat if I could tell him about another tomato besides Cherokee as he seems very interested in knowing more about the heirlooms. Are there any others anyone knows of ? __________________ Antoniette

July 6, 2013	#3
Redbaron Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 4,488	I am growing Sioux, it isn't developed by Sioux (University of Nebraska 1944), but it is named in honor. __________________ Scott AKA The Redbaron "Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; & of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system." Bill Mollison co-founder of permaculture

July 6, 2013	#6
livinonfaith Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina Posts: 1,332	James, seems like I have heard that about Cherokee Purple, too, but don't know for sure. One of the varieties at native seeds is listed as a wild type from Texas, so that one should be similar to, if not actually one of, the ones used by Early Native Americans in that area. The other that I was thinking of as a possibility is actually a semi-cultivated one from Mexico. All of the others seem to be more modern. Heirlooms of the area, but it doesn't actually say that the families that grew them out for years are Native American. So, hard to say. Last edited by livinonfaith; July 6, 2013 at 09:59 PM.

July 6, 2013	#4
JamesL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 1,992	Antoinette, Only anecdotal evidence that CP was actually grown by Cherokee's. But Carolyn or Craig himself (nctomatoman) can tell you more about that. I don't know that any were actually cultivated by Native Americans. Wild versions probably, stabilized versions, probably not.

July 6, 2013	#5
spacetogrow Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: MN zone 4 Posts: 359	No help with tomatoes, but my understanding is that a variety of pole bean called Blue Shackamaxon was given to the Quakers in what is now Pennsylvania by the Lenape people. For this reason, it is also called Treaty Bean.