"Different" Brandywine Reds???

mecktom · January 3, 2012

I have grown Brandywine Red and think it is an excellent tomato. I have noticed difffent strains in seed catalogs including a potato leaf version. I am partial to PL plants and was wondering is there a diffence in these strains or are they basically the same?

Thanks in advance.

PaulF · January 3, 2012

There are twelve or fifteen tomatoes with the name "Brandywine" attached. Some are slight variations of each other, some are so different from each other the only similarity is that they are tomatoes. I might suggest going to Tatiana's website for a very good explanation of each of the strains/varieties.

tam91 · January 3, 2012

I'm aware of three "Brandywine Red". Maybe there are more.

If you look, for example, at Tomato Growers Supply website those three are there

Regular leaf red brandywine
Potato leaf red brandywine
Red Brandywine (landis strain)

The last one is the real Red Brandywine - although I believe "landis strain" isn't really necessary. The first one is a different tomato, not bad, but not the real thing.

mecktom · January 3, 2012

They are the three I was referring to....believe I had the first you mentioned last year and was wondering about the others. The one I planted was very good and lasted the entire season but I am always curious to try other variations.

travis · January 3, 2012

I have grown Brandywine Red (Landis) which is regular leaf, and Red Brandywine from Walmart which is a potato leaf version packed by Burpee,
and yes they are very different with regard to fruit size, fruit shape, interior structure, plant structure, heat tolerance, productivity and flavor.
Really they are completely different in most respects other than they are both indeterminate tomato varieties with red fruit.

**carolyn137** · January 3, 2012

There is only ONE true Red Brandywine and no strains of it.

It was explained above about the two at TGS that are not true RB and Linda also lists a Red Brandywine Landis and calls it a strain but it isn't, it's just the place where she bought seeds, the Landis Museum in PA.

I grew my first Red Branywine Red back in the early 90's when there wasn't all this confusion. Tom Hauch of Heirloom tomatoes.net ( could be .com, I can't remember)was the first to get RB out of the SSE YEarbook and offer it commercially and still calls it his signature variety.

A few years ago I asked Tom for some seeds of his RB to compare with my RB and the plants and fruits were identical.

Tom was also the one who sent seeds of RB to Steve Miller at the Landis Museum in PA and it was Steve who got the rest of the history on it.

Hope that helps and if it were me and wanted true RB, it would be either the TGS Landis, or Tom's website or Sandhill Preservation, to start with. I used to offer it in my seed offers here and there but no longer have fresh enough seed to offer.

mecktom · January 3, 2012

Thanks Caro;yn. It is such a good tomato!

Douglas14 · January 3, 2012

I agree, Brandywine Red is one of my favorites. SSE public catalog also sells it. I've yet to find a medium-sized red tomato that I like better.

coloken · January 4, 2012

Both PL and RL do good for me . Excellent tomatoes. Much better that the "brandy wines". To bad they got tagged with the same name.

January 3, 2012	#1
mecktom Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Southern Virginia Posts: 342	"Different" Brandywine Reds??? I have grown Brandywine Red and think it is an excellent tomato. I have noticed difffent strains in seed catalogs including a potato leaf version. I am partial to PL plants and was wondering is there a diffence in these strains or are they basically the same? Thanks in advance.

January 3, 2012	#2
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,296	There are twelve or fifteen tomatoes with the name "Brandywine" attached. Some are slight variations of each other, some are so different from each other the only similarity is that they are tomatoes. I might suggest going to Tatiana's website for a very good explanation of each of the strains/varieties. __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.

January 3, 2012	#3
tam91 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Crystal Lake IL Posts: 2,484	I'm aware of three "Brandywine Red". Maybe there are more. If you look, for example, at Tomato Growers Supply website those three are there Regular leaf red brandywine Potato leaf red brandywine Red Brandywine (landis strain) The last one is the real Red Brandywine - although I believe "landis strain" isn't really necessary. The first one is a different tomato, not bad, but not the real thing. __________________ Tracy

January 3, 2012	#6
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	There is only ONE true Red Brandywine and no strains of it. It was explained above about the two at TGS that are not true RB and Linda also lists a Red Brandywine Landis and calls it a strain but it isn't, it's just the place where she bought seeds, the Landis Museum in PA. I grew my first Red Branywine Red back in the early 90's when there wasn't all this confusion. Tom Hauch of Heirloom tomatoes.net ( could be .com, I can't remember)was the first to get RB out of the SSE YEarbook and offer it commercially and still calls it his signature variety. A few years ago I asked Tom for some seeds of his RB to compare with my RB and the plants and fruits were identical. Tom was also the one who sent seeds of RB to Steve Miller at the Landis Museum in PA and it was Steve who got the rest of the history on it. Hope that helps and if it were me and wanted true RB, it would be either the TGS Landis, or Tom's website or Sandhill Preservation, to start with. I used to offer it in my seed offers here and there but no longer have fresh enough seed to offer. __________________ Carolyn

January 3, 2012	#5
travis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Evansville, IN Posts: 2,984	I have grown Brandywine Red (Landis) which is regular leaf, and Red Brandywine from Walmart which is a potato leaf version packed by Burpee, and yes they are very different with regard to fruit size, fruit shape, interior structure, plant structure, heat tolerance, productivity and flavor. Really they are completely different in most respects other than they are both indeterminate tomato varieties with red fruit.

January 3, 2012	#8
Douglas14 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: Minnesota Posts: 602	I agree, Brandywine Red is one of my favorites. SSE public catalog also sells it. I've yet to find a medium-sized red tomato that I like better.

January 4, 2012	#9
coloken Tomatovillian™ Honoree Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: NE Co Posts: 303	Both PL and RL do good for me . Excellent tomatoes. Much better that the "brandy wines". To bad they got tagged with the same name.