Great White
Single source · Reviewed Sep 9, 2026
Values marked like this (estimated) are model estimates, not confirmed from a source.
Heirloom beefsteak from USA. Large ivory beefsteak with almost no acidity and a melon-like quality. Ready in about 85 days from transplant.
- Heirloom
- 85 (estimated) days to maturity (from transplant)
- Indeterminate
- Large fruit
- Challenging (estimated)
At a glance
- Fruit type
- Beefsteak 12–20 oz (340–570 g) · Flattened globe (estimated)
- Leaf type
- Regular leaf
- Plant height
- 6–8 ft (180–240 cm) (estimated) Tall
- Spacing
- 24 × 35 in (60 × 90 cm) (estimated)
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Position
- Handles open positions
- Growing sites
- Greenhouse · Polytunnel · Open ground
- Container growing
- Not suited to pots
- Skin
-
- White
- Interior
-
- White
Plant size and habit
Tall · Indeterminate
6–8 ft (180–240 cm) (estimated) · Regular leaf
Great White is an indeterminate plant that keeps growing and setting fruit until frost; it needs a stake, cage, or trellis for the whole season. Expect a plant of 6–8 ft (180–240 cm).
Flavor
“Large ivory beefsteak with almost no acidity and a melon-like quality.”
Growing calendar
- Sow indoors
- Transplant out
- Harvest
Timing shown for temperate climates; sow indoors 6–8 weeks before your last frost date.
Disease resistance
No documented disease resistances — protect this variety with good airflow and crop rotation.
Uses & tags
- Fresh & salads
- Slicing
- Juicing
- Novelty color
- Gift worthy
- Rare collector
Origin
Great White was developed by Gleckler Seedmen from a mutation found in a packet of Orange Oxheart seeds they received from a gardener in the 1980s; one plant produced a large white beefsteak fruit. It is one of the few genuinely large pale tomatoes, ripening to a creamy ivory rather than any shade of red or yellow. The acidity is very low, which gives it a melon-like quality that people either find remarkable or find bland, and which also makes it unsuitable for canning without added acid.
Sources
Where to buy seeds
All photos
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Great White tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover -
A truss of Great White tomatoes -
Great White tomato plant in a garden bed with ripe fruit on the vine -
A ripe Great White tomato held in a gardener's hand -
Freshly picked Great White tomatoes -
Great White tomato sliced in the kitchen
Questions
How long does Great White take to mature?
Great White is ready in about 85 days from transplant.
Does Great White need staking?
Great White is an indeterminate plant that keeps growing and setting fruit until frost; it needs a stake, cage, or trellis for the whole season. Expect a plant of 6–8 ft (180–240 cm).
Can Great White be grown in a container?
Great White is better suited to open ground or a greenhouse bed than a container.
Is Great White resistant to disease?
No disease resistance is documented for Great White.
See also
Other beefsteak varieties people put next to this one.
Grows like this one
Indeterminate, mid-late, full sun. Same support, same calendar.
