The Definition of Heirloom Vegetables

The truth is that there’s no official heirloom definition. Heirlooms are rich with culture and were brought to America courtesy of immigrants from every part of the world. Many gardeners consider heirlooms to be those plants that have been handed down from generation to generation.

Heirloom vegetables are always open-pollinated varieties, which means that their seeds can be saved every year and the plants grown from that seed (as well as the fruit) will be a replica of the parent plant. Technically, this means that an heirloom vegetable gardener would never have to buy seeds again after the first year; unless they wanted to try varieties new to them. So, if a generous gardener shares seeds from their plants with others, those gardeners may never have to purchase seeds for their garden again.

Heirloom Definitions

Heirloom vegetables are always open-pollinated varieties, which means that their seeds can be saved every year, and the plants grown from that seed (as well as the fruit produced) will be a replica of the parent plant.

Technically, this means that you’d never have to buy seeds again after the first year, unless you wanted to try new varieties, which I strongly encourage you to do. And if a generous friend shared seeds with you from their plants, you may never have to purchase seeds for your garden.

Although these characteristics describe all open-pollinated varieties, some gardeners and breeders have more refined definitions of what constitutes an heirloom. The heirloom definitions can get sketchy. Originally, heirlooms were considered to be those varieties that had were 100 years old or older. Many gardeners now consider plants that have been handed down through families heirlooms even if they’re just 50 years old.

Family Heirlooms are favorite family vegetables whose seeds had been saved and passed down from generation to generation. Many of these varieties originated from cross-pollination in the garden or on the farm. Their seeds were saved, grown, and resaved for many years. Many of these family heirlooms had wonderful stories attached to them.

Open-pollinated vegetables that were introduced by seed companies before 1940 are also heirlooms but are referred to as “commercial heirlooms.”

Another area that can be confusing is when open-pollinated varieties are “created”. This is when breeder uses two heirlooms (or an heirloom and a hybrid) and crosses them on purpose for certain desirable traits. At this point, the plant produced from the cross-pollination is a hybrid.

But by growing, saving, and replanting the seeds for five seasons or more, the variety becomes dehybridized. At this point, when the seed is grown out, it consistently grows true to its parent and is now considered an open-pollinated variety.

So, will these new kids on the block someday become heirlooms? Well, maybe. If they’re kept around for generations as a highly desirable variety for whatever reason, these could end up being the heirlooms of our future

Open-Pollinated Versus Hybrid Vegetable Plants

Open-pollinated vegetable plants are those that are pollinated naturally. Pollination occurs primarily by insects, wind, water, birds, or mammals (including humans). Open-pollinated varieties have seed that “breeds true”. In other words, the seeds from an open-pollinated plant will produce seedlings and fruit that will look like the parents.

Hybrid vegetable plants are the offspring of two plants (or animals) that are of different breeds, varieties, species as produced through human manipulation for specific genetic characteristics. What this means is that if a gardener saves the seed from a hybrid vegetable, the resulting plant will not resemble its parents, but will end up with throwback genes and could look (and taste) like anything hiding inside its genetic code.

It’s important to note that no one owns heirlooms; they don’t belong to anybody which is part of the beauty. Unlike many commercial hybrids, heirlooms have no secret parentage and they are available to any gardener. Not so of hybrids – they usually come with a patent and belong to the breeder. Very often the plants used to cross-breed to produce the hybrid is kept quiet.

For more information on vegetable gardening, check out Grow Your Own Garden Vegetables, Determinate Versus Indeterminate Tomato Plants, and How to Grow Potatoes the Easy Way.