The ability of a low-passage strain (Toledo) and laboratory strains (AD169 and Towne) of human cytomegalovirus to replicate in SCID-hu (thymus plus liver) mice were compared. At a time of peak replication, 14 days after inoculation, the Toledo strain grew 2–3 orders of magnitude better than any laboratory strain, a difference reflecting the number of infected thymic stromal cells in the implants. The growth property of the Toledo strain was stable through serial passage and plaque purification. The AD169-ATCC strain failed to grow at all, while an independently maintained stock of this strain obtained from the United Kingdom replicated to low levels, suggesting that divergence had occurred during propagation in different locations. This work predicts the existence of viral genetic determinant(s) for growth in tissues that are lost during propagation in culture.