Seed Savers

From SSE member Larry Pierce of Cabool, Missouri. Named Traveler because Larry carried this seed with him when he moved ...

Upright 3-4' branched huckleberry plants produce hundreds of 3/4" metallic purple-black berries in clusters. Best when picked after berries turn ...

Striking dark-violet colored stems, leaf veins and pods with beautiful lilac-colored blossoms that are held out above the foliage on ...

Used as early as the 7th century to improve the smell of kitchens and hospitals. Hyssop leaves are used to ...

Native to Spain and the Pyrenees Mountains, Johnny Jump-Up's are truly a classic garden flower that never goes out of ...

Gorgeous finely curled blue-green leaves hold their color even in severe cold. Uniform low-growing kale plants are 15" tall with ...

Introduced in 1889. Solid round cabbage heads are 8" in diameter and weigh 7 pounds. Red throughout, vigorous and uniform, ...

Also known as Black Tuscan Palm Tree Kale which dates back to the eighteenth century. Italian heirloom, rather primitive open ...

Originally from Siberia, brought to Canada by Russian traders around 1885. One of the hardiest and most tender of all ...

Tomato-type peppers are exceedingly flavorful with sweet juicy flesh. Very meaty, good for canning. An Ohio heirloom from the family ...

Early bell pepper bred by Elwyn Meader and introduced by the University of New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station in 1965. ...

Referred to as Pot Marigold for centuries. Radio Calendula was introduced to gardeners in the 1930s and is now quite ...

Bred by Thomas Wagner of Tater Mater Seeds. Truly unique. Beautiful elongated 4" fruits are yellow with olive green stripes. ...

Grown since the 1800s. Bright cardinal-red blooms from early summer until frost, irresistible to hummingbirds. Finely cut emerald-green leaves. Vigorous ...

Bred by Thomas Wagner of Tater Mater Seeds and introduced in 1983. Olive yellow 1-1/2 to 2-1/2" fruits with deep ...

A beautiful French heirloom, the Blue Solaize Leek has blue-colored leaves that turn violet after a cold spell. Very large, ...

(Petunia multiflora) Aromatic single petunia that was common in Iowa gardens a century ago. A mixture of white, pink, lavender ...

Very prolific tomato plants continue producing throughout the entire growing season. The Mexico Midget has hundreds of round 1/2" fruits ...

First noted on the Pacific coast by Dr. Johann Friedrich Eschscholtz, who was the leader of a Russian expedition in ...

Grown and maintained by Dr. John Navazio, the Dragon Carrot is the finest and most refined purple carrot available. It ...

Amish variety heirloom lettuce valued for its ruggedness and heavy production. Thick solid compact plant. Sharply triangular green leaves with ...

Collected by Kent Whealy from an elderly seedsman at Moscow's Bird Market during the August 1991 coup. Originally from the ...

Nineteenth-century French heirloom. Early round red-orange carrots, 1-2" in diameter, uniform and very sweet. Does well in shallow or rocky ...

Awarded the bronze medal at the 1947 All American Selections. Introduced as Bronze Beauty by Germania Seed & Plant Co. ...

Cylindrical roots are 7" by 1-1/2". Bright red-orange flesh, fine grained, nearly core less, fine flavor, sweet and brittle. Nice ...

A favorite of Ben Quisenberry. Originally introduced by Glecklers Seedmen of Metamora, Ohio, in 1956. A green-when-ripe tomato variety with ...

(Asclepias incarnata) Red Milkweed is the preferred food source of Monarch caterpillars. The bright pink and red flowers bloom June ...

Austrian heirloom that translates as "speckled like a trout." Gorgeous romaine lettuce with medium green leaves and splotches of maroon. ...

Bronze-tinged leaf lettuce that forms large loose heads. Mild flavor, slow to bolt, tender longer than most even in extreme ...

(Nepeta cataria) First grown in America in the late 1700s, Catnip has a euphoric effect for cats and is a ...

Introduced to American gardeners in 1888 by Peter Henderson & Company. Well adapted for forcing or wintering-over for early cauliflower ...

A mixture of heirloom lettuces containing equal amounts of the following eight varieties: Amish Deer Tongue, Australian Yellow-leaf, Bronze Arrowhead, ...

Developed by SSE member Glenn Drowns when he lived in northern Idaho, where summer nights average 43 degrees F. Round ...

Used as a colorful tangy addition to salads, this Romaine Lettuce is a gourmet variety. Red color develops best during ...

French heirloom described in Vilmorin's The Vegetable Garden (1885). Produces a compact 10-12" lettuce head with a green heart and ...

(Nepeta cataria) First grown in America in the late 1700s, chamomile is known for its euphoric effect on cats but ...

A deliciously sweet and refreshing small "icebox" watermelon. Ideal for small families -- and small refrigerators. Early maturity, adapted to ...

With an upright growth habit, this Bibb Lettuce has curled and blistered leaf edges that are tinged with red and ...

Released by the Alf Christianson Seed Company, 1985. Unique deep purple round roots. Firm white flesh is sweet and mild ...

No Mexican meal is complete without this herb. The leaves are called Cilantro and the seeds are used as a ...

Bred in England. Large dark green curled leaves form upright 8-10" heads. Sweet, crisp, and succulent. Slow to bolt in ...

A beautiful zinnia, the Red Spider has been mentioned in botanical documents as early as 1801. Single spider-like, bright red, ...

Wormwood leaves are used to ward off insects and as a medicinal tonic. Attractive shrubby plants with fine grey-green foliage ...

Love-in-a-Mist first appeared in England around 1570. Some very imaginative folk names include Love-Entangle and Jack-in-Prison. Intriguing striped seedpods dry ...

Recorded in South America before the 16th century, Love-Lies-Bleeding is often referred to as Inca Wheat. Grown for use as ...

(Malva sylvestris) Having beautiful long-blooming flowers, Zebrina is a showy, free-flowering plant that attracts lots of bees and hummingbird moths. ...

(Lupinus polyphyllus) Nice well-balanced mixture of lupines with a full color range. Perennial lupines are found growing wild from California ...

A beautiful old-fashioned moss rose (Portulaca grandiflora) with single blossoms, becoming hard to find. Flowers stay open almost all day ...

Obtained during the 1991 coup from breeders at the Moscow branch of the Vavilov Institute, and grown at Heritage Farm ...

Magnificent ornamental corn from Japan; known in the 1890s as Striped-Leafed Japanese Maize. Variegated leaves striped with green, white, yellow, ...

In the early 1800s, after years of refining this strain, Nathaniel Newman Stowell sold two ears of seed for $4.00 ...

Very intriguing plant discovered in Brazil. Ornamental pinnate leaves close when touched by children (or adults). Do not overwater, and ...

Exotic tubular flowers in shades of pink, red and white. Bright colorful blooms on tall stems with typical ferny cosmos ...

A true French cantaloupe that originated in the Poitou-Charentes region circa 1920. Considered by many to be the most divine ...

Ornamental and delicious popcorn with kernels in shades of blue, pink, mahogany, white and yellow. Slender ears up to 7" ...

Introduced in 1928 by Abbott & Cobb of Philadelphia, PA. Extremely productive pickling cucumber produces uniformly straight 8-10" fruits that ...

Introduced by W. Atlee Burpee in 1886 from seed sent by William G. Voorhees of Benzie County, Michigan. The most ...

Swedish variety soybean bred by Sven Holmberg. Use fresh or dried. Highly nutritious -- up to 40% protein, high in ...

Long-standing compact Bloomsdale type spinach, 8" tall plants, thick deep-green savoyed leaves, slow-growing, slow-bolting, heat and drought resistant. Fine quality. ...

Introduced to SSE in 1982 by Clarice Cooper of Kansas and her late husband Auburn. Family heirloom cucumber dating to ...

One of the oldest known spices in England, that first appeared in the Grocers' Company of London. Anise was added ...

One of the original Bavarian varieties. Given to Kent and Diane (Ott) Whealy in 1972 by her grandfather, Baptist John ...

Family heirloom given to Anna Swartz by a friend in the 1950s; introduced commercially by SSE in 1999. Anna loved ...

The Apollo Arugula is a highly improved Dutch strain of domesticated rocket. Very large, rounded leaves are high in vitamin ...

A classic Victorian nasturtium with dark blue-green foliage. Brilliant crimson-scarlet flowers on plants seldom over 12-14". Suitable for containers. The ...

(Centaurea cyanus) For those who cannot stand to just have one color of Bachelor's Button! Extensive range of colors, long ...

East Coast heirloom long remembered as a great pie squash by people in New York and New Jersey. Introduced in ...

Cinnamon-scented attractive 24" basil plants have purple-red stalks, pinkish flowers and glossy dark green leaves. Sweet spicy flavor is great ...

An heirloom cheese pumpkin from the South of France, introduced to American gardeners in 1899 by Vaughan's Seed Store in ...

Large-leaved Italian sweet basil that is prized for its spicy flavor and wonderful aroma. Plants grow 18-24". An excellent variety ...

Often referred to as Woodland Tobacco, this 5' tall plant has 3-4" hanging trumpet-shaped white blossoms. Flowers open in the ...

Semi-open bush plants produce extended heavy crops of smooth light-yellow fruits with curved necks. Summer Crookneck Squash is best eaten ...

The most widely grown heirloom dill. Early maturing plants have dark green leaves, 6-foot flowering umbels and an intoxicating dill ...

Spicy anise-clove scent and flavor. Commonly used in Thai or Vietnamese cooking. Attractive basil plants are 12-18" tall with medium-green ...

South Texas heirloom. Beautiful 6' tall red-stemmed plants produce wide green pods tinged with red. Full of the good okra ...

(Ursinia anethoides) Beautiful daisy-like plant from South Africa. Massive explosion of long-lasting 2-1/2" golden flowers, atop silvery foliage. Well suited ...

Nature's sweet secret. Used in Japan since the 1970s when the safety of artificial sweeteners came into question. Stevia extracts ...

In 1898 Abel Steele of Ferguson, Ontario won a $25.00 prize for naming this new variety from Peter Henderson & ...

Highly esteemed medicinal herb since ancient times. St. John's Wort is widely used as an herbal treatment for depression. Shrubby ...

Australian native that was introduced to Europe in 1799. Strawflower are large papery flowers used extensively in dried arrangements and ...

Sunflower produces an abundance of multiple blooms with large lemon-yellow petals and dark chocolate centers. (Sturdy annual, 7-8' tall) Heirloom Seeds ...

This Dutch wax bean has large 6-8" cream-colored pods with vivid purple stripes that disappear when blanched. Pods are stringless, ...

Beautiful striped Italian eggplant. After selecting for over 5 years, this is the best strain out of 10 for color ...

Listed as Large Red in 1834 by Hovey & Co. of Boston; the name Wethersfield was first ascribed to this ...

Dark-centered sunflower blooms are 4-5" across with petals that gradually fade from a dark red base to golden yellow tips. ...

A well adapted introduction, most likely of Canadian Mennonite origin, later adopted by the Tarahumara tribe. Masses of solid-gold flowers ...

Beautiful and edible striped eggplant from India. Heavy yields of pear-shaped fruits are light green streaked with purple, ripening to ...

(Origanum heracleoticum) Delicious, pungent flavor, claimed to be better and sharper than true oregano. Light-green, oval, pointed leaves that are ...

(Convolvulus tricolor) Beautiful free-flowering mixture, the Ensign Flower has remarkably showy blossoms that are open all day. These extremely handsome ...

This striking sunflower has velvety, dark mahogany-red petals with an almost black center. Well branched, free-flowering plants with strong stems ...

Sweet Mace (aka Spanish Tarragon, Mexican Mint Marigold) has beautiful glossy leaves with small anise-scented orange flowers. The darling of ...

(Foeniculum vulgare) Called Finnocchio in Italy, Florence Fennel has broad overlapping leaf bases that form large bulb-like enlargements around the ...

A great dual purpose garden bean, the Painted Pony has long thin pods that are stringless and good for snap ...

The masses of small star-shaped powdery-blue blooms of the Firmament contrast nicely with deep grey-green foliage. A good cut flower ...

Plenty of showy trumpet-shaped 3-inch flowers. A "Perfect Mix" of fuchsia, white, purple, salmon, lavender, rust and bronze flowers. Developed ...

(L. sativus) Hundreds of beautiful electric-blue blossoms. Azureus Sweet Pea are commonly grown in China and India as a grazing ...

Sizeable bushy plants produce a continuous supply of large flat leaves with strong parsley flavor. Prized by Italian cooks. Biennial ...

Discovered by Conquistadors in the 16th century, Four O' Clocks are also called Marvel of Peru. Wide range of beautiful ...

Closely curled dark-green leaves. Nutritious fast-growing uniform strain. Parsley is high in vitamins and minerals. Holds very well at harvesting ...

Superb snap pea reportedly grown in the Amish community long before present snap pea types. Vines grow 5-6' tall and ...

Originally collected at a market in India. Tall 6' plants, beautiful two-toned purple flowers and bright lemon-yellow pea pods. Best ...

Selected by Dutch seedsman Kees Sahin from the French variety Crapaudine for the darkest-colored leaves. Remarkably beautiful red-purple tops. The ...

Thompson & Morgan offered Rainbow Chard from 1970 through 1989, but then apparently lost the yellow and orange colors and ...

First introduced to American gardeners in the late 1840s from Italy. Uniquely beautiful flesh has alternating red and white concentric ...

Originated in England and introduced in the United States in the mid-nineteenth century. There are several peas in the history ...

A uniquely shaped heirloom beet that resembles a carrot and produces uniform round slices for eating and processing. Dark-red flesh ...

Beautiful double 4-6" golden-yellow blooms are great for cut flowers. Makes an excellent border in front of larger sunflowers. Teddy ...

Highly ornamental and useful in the kitchen. Green foliage is highlighted by purple veins and beautiful purple flowers. Sturdy pepper ...

European cottage gardeners planted thyme because it was believed to be a home for fairies. Thyme is one of the ...

(Moluccella laevis) Native to the Mediterranean region, Bells of Ireland are a great conversation piece in any garden. Interesting spikes ...

Tip Top is a unique strain of nasturtium that holds its blooms above the foliage and is classed as top-flowering. ...

Beautifully diverse ornamental gourd mixture with equal portions of Cou-Tors Hative, Orange Warted, Ten Commandments, Nest Egg, Flat Striped, Striped ...

Shiny green bell peppers ripen to a gorgeous chocolate brown. Excellent sweet flavor when fully ripe, average flavor when green. ...

Although dahlias were discovered in the 16th century by Spanish conquistadors, not until 1872 was a box of tubers sent ...

Nineteenth century African American heirloom first offered by William Woys Weaver in the 1995 SSE Yearbook. Weaver's grandfather received the ...

First listed in the 1987 SSE Yearbook by Thane Earl of Whitewater, Wisconsin. Commercialized by Tom Hauch of Heirloom Seeds, ...

Offered in 1935 by Joseph Harris & Co. of Coldwater, New York, who reported, "If you want a large hot ...

Introduced to Seed Savers by Bill Minkey in 1993, Aunt Ruby's Green is a great heirloom tomato from Greenville, Tennessee. ...