Solanum lycopersicum
Origin: Washington State
Improvement status: Cultivar
Seeds per packet: ~30
Germination tested 12/2022: 97%
Life cycle: Annual
Plant-breeder Tom Wagner's magnum opus, considered by many to be the best-tasting tomato in the world. Light green medium-sized fruits with yellow-green striping grow in profusion on vigorous indeterminate plants. Though it was introduced in 1982 (and so does not qualify as an "heirloom" by most definitions), it has played a major role in popularizing "heirloom tomatoes" among consumers in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Some growers profess to be confused about when to harvest, because fruits are still green once they ripen, but a simple squeeze usually gives enough information to determine that they're ready. And a single bite should be more than enough to tell you if you're dealing with a ripe or unripe tomato. For my taste, there's no better tomato to mix with fresh mozzarella, basil, and a little drizzle of balsamic vinegar reduction. The perfect caprese salad (even if it's no longer the color of the Italian flag).
These seeds were grown by EFN co-founder Dusty Hinz at Jeff "The Herb Man" Adelman's farm in Farmington, Minnesota.
