10 Heirloom Crops to Grow in Your Summer Garden
Ask just about any gardening enthusiast about his or her home garden plans and you’re almost guaranteed to hear the mention of heirloom seeds. But what is an heirloom plant and what makes them so special? Heirloom crops are loosely defined as open-pollinated plants that have been in cultivation for at least 50 years, although you can trace the lineage of many varieties back hundreds of years. Heirloom crops also have a tendency to offer more variety, color and flavors than your run-of-the-mill plants. If you’d like to grow a few of your own this year but aren’t sure where to begin, here are some heirloom crops to consider for your summer garden.
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1. Pink Brandywine Tomatoes
Named after the Brandywine Creek in Chester County, Pennsylvania, Brandywine tomatoes are a popular heirloom with a mysterious history. The best guess anyone has is that these hearty slicing tomatoes came from an Ohio family farm in 1889, making them more than 130 years old. While there are a number of different Brandywine tomatoes on the market, Pink Brandywines are a favorite among home gardeners thanks to their rich and traditional flavor, mesmerizing coloration and hefty fruit that can weigh upwards of 2 pounds per tomato!
See more: Complete Guide to Tomato Varieties and How to Use Them
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2. White Scallop Squash
Otherwise known as a Patty Pan, the White Scallop Squash is a summer squash renowned for its petite stature and deliciously mild flavor. In addition to its unique shape and creamy white color, this squash variety is easily one of the quickest-producing and highest-yielding squash on the market. Even more interesting is that you can trace the history of the White Scallop Squash back hundreds of years to ancient Native American tribes. Historians have found European depictions of this squash from as early as 1591.
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3. Rouge Vif d’Etampes Pumpkins
Deep scarlet in color and French in origin, the name of these beautiful pumpkins translates to ‘vivid red.’ These are highly ornamental and a beloved favorite among gardeners who enjoy growing their own porch decorations for autumn. Better yet? They reach an impressive 20 pounds a pop, and they store well through winter. As far as history is concerned, these French heirlooms were among the most popular pumpkin varieties in Parisian markets in the 1880s and were introduced to the United States in 1883 by W. Atlee Burpee.
See more: 10 Pumpkin Varieties and How to Use Them
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4. Blot Pepper
Eastern European in descent, the Blot Pepper comes in an array of sunset hues and makes a crunchy and delicious addition to any garden. They are commonly enjoyed as a tasty raw snack but are also well-suited to cooking, roasting, stuffing and pickling. Blot peppers are about the size of a common bell pepper but taste much sweeter, juicier and crunchier. For such a productive plant, you may be surprised to learn they top out at just about 2 feet tall.
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5. King Tut Peas
Hailed as rare and curious, King Tut Peas are quite possibly one of the most fascinating heirlooms available today. According to the story, these peas were removed from the original tomb of King Tut in Egypt. His servants had placed them with the body to provide for him in the afterlife. Some have tried to debunk the story, but who knows for certain? Either way, these productive pea plants produce beautiful purple pods that make for a tasty soup when harvested early.
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6. Black Nebula Carrot
Have you ever seen a carrot as dark as the Black Nebula? Rich in antioxidants and delectably sweet, these carrots originate from carrots discovered in northern Indian markets with rich, dark roots. The end result, after years of improving upon the color, is a variety with shockingly saturated roots that tastes as delicious raw as cooked. You could even use the juice as a dye, or squeeze a touch of lemon in into it and watch it turn a vibrant pink.
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7. Dragon Tongue Beans
Dragon Tongue Beans are a popular Dutch heirloom variety that boasts an unparalleled flavor, tender pods and striking coloration. Even gardeners who aren’t wild about consuming beans will grow this variety purely for its spectacular aesthetic. First cultivated in the Netherlands during the 18th century, this variety is also sometimes known as Dragon Langerie, Merveille de Piemonte or Meraviglia del Piemonte. Compact plants with high yields, Dragon Tongue Beans make a wonderful addition to just about any garden.
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8. Pippin’s Golden Honey Pepper
Sweet on the tongue and a beautiful array of red, purple and orange, Pippin’s Golden Honey Peppers were originally found in Philadelphia in the early 1900s. Folk artist Horrace Pippin is considered the father of these peppers, and he allegedly shared the seeds of this pepper with H. Ralf Weaver in exchange for bee sting therapy on the arm he injured in World War I. Rare and unique, these treasured peppers are easy to grow and delightful to watch mature from purple to yellow to orange.
See more: 15 Flavorful Pepper Recipes to Try This Summer
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9. Bloody Butcher Dent Corn
With a name like Bloody Butcher, you may think this corn variety has a dark and shrouded past. But the reality is much less gruesome. This corn variety, which originated in the 1800s in Virginia, is said to be named for the brilliant red flecks of color intermixed with white kernels, resembling a butcher’s apron. While the description may inspire a small shudder, this corn makes an excellent cornmeal and even better cornbread. Uniquely gritty, earthy and complex, many topnotch chefs insist on using this variety in their cooking.
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10. Viking Potatoes
Large and round with purple skin and splashes of pink, Viking potatoes are arguably one of the most beautiful tubers on the market. They have a creamy, buttery flavor and taste excellent mashed, baked or roasted until crisp. Vikings are also considered excellent storage potatoes, meaning you can enjoy them throughout the winter season. These tasty tubers have a debated history, but some think they were first created at the North Dakota Experiment Station in the late 1900s.