2 Main Categories of Seeds
- Open-Pollinated (OP): A stable variety that breeds true from seed.
- Hybrid (F1): Seed that is first genera on offspring that is created through the crossing of two distinct varieties within the same species.
*The Federal Seed Act mandates that seed companies label hybrid varieties as hybrid or (F1).
*Any varieties not labeled as hybrid or F1 are open-pollinated by default.
“Due to the laws of inheritance and genetic recombination, seeds saved from hybrid varieties will produce plants with an unpredictable combination of inherited traits – and most likely will NOT resemble the individual plants from which the seeds came” (Colley & Zystro, 2015, p. 38).
What Does “Heirloom” Mean?
Heirloom: An open-pollinated cultivar that has been passed down from one generation to the next and is a living link that can be traced back to our ancestors who preserved and maintained the variety over the years.
*Typically, the term “heirloom” is used to designate an open-pollinated variety with historical significance.
*All heirloom seeds are open-pollinated, but not all open-pollinated seeds are heirloom.