What are heirloom flowers? And why grow them?

You've heard the word.  Maybe from your grandmother.  Maybe at a farmers' market or on seed packets.  So what exactly is an heirloom variety?

The word "heirloom" may conjure up many different images in your mind: a locket or trinket that belonged to your great-grandmother; the now-tattered quilt that was lovingly stitched a century-and-a-half ago; the China dishes that are brought to the table at Christmastime.  But when used in reference to garden plants, what does it mean?

In fact, that heirloom rose bush in your grandmother's yard may not be very different, by definition, from the locket that belonged to her grandmother, in the sense that it, like all heirlooms, has been in the family for generations; perhaps that rose bush was grown from a slip (more commonly called a "cutting" today) taken from a bush that once grew on the old family homestead; perhaps it was brought across the sea from a bush that grew in the Old Country.  Whatever may be this rose's story, you know that the bush is a precious family heirloom, and delight in its stunning blooms and heady fragrance summer after summer.

Lovers of history, such as myself, may want a more concrete definition of the term "heirloom."  Heirloom varieties are those that were grown at an earlier period in history - some records have varieties dating back to the 1200's!! - and not grown at the large-scale level of modern commercial agriculture.  Some believe an heirloom variety must be at least 100 years old, others 50 years.  Historically speaking, a heirloom variety can be one that was in existence prior to either 1945, according to some, since this coincides with the end of World War II, or 1951.  After World War II, and especially after 1951, commercial agriculture began to move at a faster pace, demanding more and more modern hybrids to keep up with the increasing demands of production.  Food moved from the kitchen garden or family farm to the grocery store; and flowers left gardens for florists. 

In perhaps the strictest sense, by the laws of botany, an heirloom variety of a plant is one that is produced by open pollination; that is to say, the seed from which it came developed naturally, having been pollinated by another genetically similar plant with the help of natural mechanisms such as insects, birds, and wind.  The seed resulting from these plants can be collected and will grow true to form the following year, passing on the parent plants' characteristics to the following generation.  In most cases, heirloom varieties of flowers have brighter colors and stronger fragrance.  They also tend to be better suited for their surrounding environment and ecosystem, as they have been allowed to adapt over time to the area's specific conditions.  Because the pollen source, or male parent, is unknown in open pollination, it does allow for the possibility of naturally occurring hybrids or offspring that vary widely in genetic traits, which increases the gene pool and biodiversity (which, from an ecological standpoint, is always a good thing!).

In the case of heirloom varieties of plants like fruit trees and rose bushes, traits of the heirloom are perpetuated and preserved through techniques such as grafting and cutting.  In fact, you can still purchase one of Johnny Appleseed's very own saplings, from Rain Tree Nursery!  (Visit  http://www.raintreenursery.com/Johnny_Appleseed_Apple_Antonovka.html  to read about how his heirloom apple trees have been preserved since the 1830's.)

Hybrid plants, those that are most widely grown commercially, come from seed that has been specially selected by cross-pollinating two genetically different plants, with the intention of breeding for desired traits.  The results are plants with a purpose: tomatoes that can withstand long-distance shipping, for example.  However, when seed is collected and grown from hybrids, the offspring will not grow true to form.  For example, when plants A and B are crossed to form hybrid C, seed from hybrid C will not produce plants with hybrid C's qualities, but will exhibit traits like those of either parent A or parent B.  That is, if seed from hybrid C is not sterile, as is often the case with hybrids.   

On a commercial agriculture level, hybrid plants are necessary; they often are bred for higher yielding crops, and much of the world survives because of modern hybrids, so of course they have their benefits.  But so do heirlooms.  And preserving heirloom flowers, as well as fruits and vegetables, means the preservation of genetic material that once lost is lost forever. 

There is also a personal side to growing heirlooms.  They connect us in a tangible way to the past; they connect us to our ancestors in the Old Country, to our Founding Fathers, to pilgrims and pioneers.  Many heirlooms were the very same varieties that our very own ancestors have cultivated for generations, each year saving seed so that the brilliant colors, lovely scents, and soul-lifting beauty of their flowers might be preserved.   As you admire heirloom flowers, allow the nostalgia and romance of the past draw you closer to your ancestors and help you to form an understanding and appreciation for their way of life.