McGee Tomato

55 days, indeterminate — 'McGee' is a very early maturing variety. Its fruit weigh between one to three ounces and are red, smooth-skinned, and globe-shaped. They are pleasantly mild, slightly tart with a good lingering aftertaste. It is a heavy producer and although suitable for snacking and salads, primarily used for juicing and canning. Developed in Texas, 'McGee' is tolerant of, and will continue to set fruit in high temperatures and hot, dry weather.

The 'McGee' tomato, originally introduced in 1909,^[1] is named after its originator and early promoter, Professor M. C. McGee (1858-1926) of San Marcos, Texas. His obituary stated, "Another of his achievements was the propagation of a tomato, the famous McGee tomato which for many years was extensively grown throughout Texas and the southern states."^[3]

After his death, his family continued to run small classified advertisements in newspapers throughout the South. Southern seedsmen, for example Chris Reuter's Seed Company of New Orleans, began offering it to their customers by the late 1920s. We received seed and grew out our stock from the USDA, ARS accession number PI 644964. Each packet contains approximately 20 seeds.