What is an heirloom plant?

A true heirloom comes true from seed, has been nurtured, selected, and handed down from one family member to another for many generations.

Q: What is the definition of an heirloom plant variety?

A: The term heirloom was first used to describe a seed variety in the 1930s by horticulturist and vegetable grower J.R. Hepler to describe bean varieties handed down through families. However, the current definition and use of the word heirloom to describe plants is open to debate and encompasses not only vegetables, but flowers, fruits, and herbs.

One school of thought places an age or date on varieties. For instance, some insist the cultivar

must be over 100 years old, others 50 years old, and others prefer the date of 1945, which marks the end of World War II. Another way of defining heirloom cultivars is to use the definition of the word heirloom in its truest sense. Under this interpretation, a true heirloom is a cultivar that comes true from seed, has been nurtured, selected, and handed down from one family member to another for many generations.

Throughout history humans have selected and saved seeds from the healthiest and most vigorous plants and thereby gradually developing truly unique heirloom cultivars that are accustomed to the soil, climate, and pests of a given region. I encourage you to take this into consideration in your decision-making process when choosing to grow heirloom varieties. Keeping in mind that an heirloom that originates from England, Brazil or Southern Florida may not be very happy growing in our Colorado climate and soils.

Most major seed-supply companies offer heirloom varieties – look for ‘heirloom’ specifically noted in the variety description. There are also specialty suppliers focused on heirloom seeds. Simply enter “heirloom seed” into your preferred search engine on your computer.

Read our Q & As with Keith Funk answering common Colorado gardening questions here. You can also hear him on the Garden Wise Radio Show on Legends 810AM.