heirloom varieties
Old-fashioned seed strains
Heirloom varieties are plant cultivars passed down through generations, typically predating modern industrial agriculture.
Unlike commercial hybrids bred for uniformity and shelf life, heirloom tomatoes, beans, and other crops are open-pollinated and valued for distinctive flavors, colors, and regional adaptation: She grows heirloom tomatoes with names like Brandywine and Cherokee Purple.
The term implies heritage worth preserving.
- seed banksStorage for genetic diversity
- heritage cropsTraditional cultivars preserved across generations
- seed librariesCommunity collections for borrowing plantables
- seed swapTrading plant starters
- cultivarBred plant variety
genetic diversity · organic farming · artisanal foods · crop rotation · horticulture · traditional recipes · hybridization · purple carrots · orchard · regional cuisines · community gardens · ethnobotany · pollination · companion planting · growing season · seed catalogs · soil health · harvest
- Flower Gardeningflower beds, flower bed, garden flowers, annuals, perennials
- gardeninggardener, gardening, flowers, seeds, soil
- vegetable gardeningtomatoes, carrots, lettuce, peppers, cucumbers
- Rosesroses, tea rose, hybrid tea rose, climbing rose, wild rose
- Andean agriculturequinoa, potatoes, potato, terraces, terrace farming
- crop diversitycultivars, landraces, ancient grains, traditional crops, native crops
heirloom varietiesindustrial agriculture
Large-scale mechanized farming
heirloom varietiesgenetically modified organisms
Lifeforms with altered DNA