🍅 Quick take: Quapaw Green is a mid-early indeterminate heirloom slicer originating from the collection of legendary Canadian seed saver Dan McMurray (named after Oklahoma’s Quapaw Nation). Reaching 6.5 ft (2 m), the vine puts out hefty 10.5-17.5 oz (300-500 g) oblate green-when-ripe beefsteaks that ripen with a soft amber blush while keeping emerald shoulders. Growers rate it as one of the sweetest, most sophisticated GWR varieties, with fruits that can hang on the vine for days without turning soft. Full summary ↓
Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zones 4 & 11 Experience)
QUAPAW GREEN
Named after the Quapaw, a Native American tribe residing in Oklahoma to this day. This variety comes out of the collection of the late Dan McMurray.
A mid-early, heavy-yielding indeterminate vine. Sturdy plants reach up to 6.5 ft (2 m) tall with standard regular foliage. Production is outstanding, setting fruit consistently right up until frost.
The fruit is large, pale green, oblate with convex, plump shoulders, averaging between 10.5 and 17.5 oz (300 to 500 g). As they reach peak ripeness, the skins develop a delicate honey-amber blush, though the shoulders stay rich dark green.
The interior flesh is dense, emerald-colored, and dripping with juice. Outstanding flavor profile, remarkably sweet and sophisticated. Fully ripe fruit can hang on the vine for an extended period without turning to mush.
An absolute dream for table slicing and fresh summer salads. At this moment, this is hands down my favorite green-when-ripe tomato in the garden.
Edited December 26, 2018 by Drosera
Named after the Quapaw, a Native American tribe residing in Oklahoma to this day. This variety comes out of the collection of the late Dan McMurray.
A mid-early, heavy-yielding indeterminate vine. Sturdy plants reach up to 6.5 ft (2 m) tall with standard regular foliage. Production is outstanding, setting fruit consistently right up until frost.
The fruit is large, pale green, oblate with convex, plump shoulders, averaging between 10.5 and 17.5 oz (300 to 500 g). As they reach peak ripeness, the skins develop a delicate honey-amber blush, though the shoulders stay rich dark green.
The interior flesh is dense, emerald-colored, and dripping with juice. Outstanding flavor profile, remarkably sweet and sophisticated. Fully ripe fruit can hang on the vine for an extended period without turning to mush.
An absolute dream for table slicing and fresh summer salads. At this moment, this is hands down my favorite green-when-ripe tomato in the garden.
Edited December 26, 2018 by Drosera
Ran this one in the greenhouse. Loved it!
Full Summary: Quapaw Green Characteristics & Garden Performance
- 🌿 Plant & Growth Habit: Indeterminate vine with standard regular foliage, reaching around 6.5 ft (2 m). Sturdy structure with excellent vigor, setting fruit continuously until cold weather shuts it down.
- 🍈 Fruit Appearance & Ripeness Indicator: Large, flattened oblate slicers ranging from 10.5 to 17.5 oz (300 to 500 g). Tells you it is ripe when the pale green skin develops a warm, translucent amber-gold blush, while the shoulders retain deep olive-green tones.
- 👅 Flavor & Texture: Juicy, meaty, multi-locular emerald flesh with high natural sugars and complex aromatic undertones. Lacks the aggressive sour bite found in lesser green varieties.
- ⏳ Vine Holding Ability: Unlike many soft green-when-ripe heirlooms that turn watery or split quickly once ripe, Quapaw Green maintains firm flesh integrity on the vine for several days after hitting peak ripeness.
- 🌎 Proven Climates: Tested with great results in both hot maritime subtropical climates (USDA Zone 11, Canary Islands) and cold continental high tunnels (USDA Zone 4, Volga Region).
🍅 Have you grown Quapaw Green or other Dan McMurray heirlooms? How does its sweetness compare to Aunt Ruby’s German Green or Cherokee Green in your soil? Drop your zone and tasting notes below!
👨🌾 Editor’s Note: Dan McMurray & Native American Heirloom Preservation
Quapaw Green traces back to the late Dan McMurray of Wynndel, British Columbia, Canada. A legendary figure in the Seed Savers Exchange and early online heirloom circles, McMurray dedicated decades to preserving rare open-pollinated varieties, including Native American landraces linked to the Quapaw people of northeastern Oklahoma. Green-When-Ripe (GWR) heirlooms are notorious for being difficult to harvest at the right moment; Quapaw Green is prized among connoisseurs because its clear amber color shift eliminates harvest guesswork.
Quapaw Green traces back to the late Dan McMurray of Wynndel, British Columbia, Canada. A legendary figure in the Seed Savers Exchange and early online heirloom circles, McMurray dedicated decades to preserving rare open-pollinated varieties, including Native American landraces linked to the Quapaw people of northeastern Oklahoma. Green-When-Ripe (GWR) heirlooms are notorious for being difficult to harvest at the right moment; Quapaw Green is prized among connoisseurs because its clear amber color shift eliminates harvest guesswork.
