Category Archives: Heirlooms
Cucumber White Wonder
Burpee introduced this now classic cucumber in 1893 after receiving it from a customer in western New York State. Pale ivory the 6 to 8″ long and 2 to 3″-wide fruits have an exceptionally crisp texture making for excellent fresh
Cauliflower Snowball Self-Blanching
A flavorful heirloom variety that produces 6-8 pure-white heads. When colder weather arrives its leaves will curl upright and self-wrap.
Squash Winter Acorn Table Queen
The flesh of this heirloom acorn is a sweet golden yellow that turns more orange in storage and the rind is dark green and ribbed. Fruits grow to 6″. GARDEN HINTS: Leave on vine until fully mature. Harvest before frost
Tomato Cherokee Purple
This large dark purple heirloom tomato from Tennessee is rumored to have come from Cherokee gardeners. With its rich full flavor it’s often compared with Brandywine. The flesh is brick-red and very attractive sliced on a plate. Plants produce large
Bean Lima Fordhook 242 Bush
All-America Selections winner. This Burpee bred bean is heat-resistant and thrives in adverse conditions. The heavy yields of 4″ pods with 3-5 large beans each are excellent for freezing. Proven tops for productivity flavor and wide adaptability. Bush varieties mature
Zinnia Exquisite
HEIRLOOM. A true magician that lives up to its name this beauty offers a full season of color. Large 4-5″ blooms burst open a bright red and as new ones appear every day the older ones change to a rosy-red
Pepper Sweet Chinese Giant
Sweet Chinese Giant was twice as big as the largest bell pepper of its day. Plants are a compact 24″ tall. Fruits are usually 4 by 4″ but Mr. Burpee pointed out that if you thin the fruits they can
Watermelon Moon And Stars Heirloom
A spectacular watermelon with fine flavor introduced by the Henderson seed company in 1926. The skin is deep green speckled with hundreds of golden yellow stars and a few half-dollar sized moons. Even the foliage has yellow “stars”. The fruit
Radish French Breakfast
Heirloom. Oblong roots grow 1 3/4″ long and 3/4″ wide. Scarlet skin shades to white at base. White flesh is crisp and mildly pungent when young. Fast and easy to grow radishes are best in cool weather and planted in
Mustard Southern Giant Curled
With crumpled frilled edges the bright green leaves impart a mild mustardy flavor. Served raw the young leaves are tasty in salads-they’re also delicious lightly stir-fried or sauteed. Superb candidate for freezing or canning. Cold-resistant and slow to bolt the
Pepper Hot Fish
You may have encountered (and savored) this heirloom pepper in the oyster and crab houses around the Chesapeake Bay. One of the prettiest peppers ever to grace our test gardens this African-American heirloom predates the 1870s. Boasting handsome variegated foliage
Pumpkin Small Sugar
Small Sugar is even better for pies than its larger cousin Connecticut Field pumpkin. When Mr. Burpee offered it in 1887 he said: “A very prolific and handsome little pumpkin; usual size about 10″ in diameter; skin is a deep
Tomato Black Cherry
An heirloom too rarely encountered this delectable variety fully merits a place in the garden and on the dinner table. Yields plentiful clusters of perfectly round 1″ true cherry tomatoes that are deep red with a blackish hue. The flavor
Kale Lacinato
Also known as Dinosaur or Tuscan Kale this Italian heirloom dates back to the 18th century and is an essential ingredient of caldo verde (green broth) a popular soup in Portugal. By whatever name the sweeter milder blue-green
Tomato Yellow Pear
This extremely old variety makes a vigorous plant that bears enormous numbers of bright yellow bite-sized fruit. The flavor is deliciously tangy. Perfect for summer party hors d’oeuvres.
Bean Asparagus Yardlong
Asparagus Yardlong bears loads of slender very long pods that are best picked when less than 18 in. long. It has a delicious nutty flavor steamed stir-fried or sauteed. It’s easy to grow and has no serious pests or diseases.
Tomato Polish Linguisa
A meaty delicious variety from Eastern Europe that was brought to America by Polish gardeners in the 1800s. Extremely large the 10-12 oz. sausage-shaped fruits are produced on indeterminate vines. The bright red fruits lend themselves to a broad range
Sunflower Mammoth Russian
This is the giant one with huge heads that are ideal for competition at fairs. Thin-shelled striped seeds are plump meaty and very plentiful. Proven tops for performance and adaptability. Easy to grow and attracts butterflies.
Tomato Red Currant
Perfect for salads and crudites these tiny 1/2″ round red fruits are notable for their strong sweet-tart flavor and firm juicy texture. High-yielding indeterminate plants bear large trusses of clusters of fruit making harvesting easier.
Carrot Danvers Half Long
Market gardeners in Danvers Massachusetts developed this variety and shared it with Burpee in 1886. The root is a rich dark orange and is 6-8″ long. A first-class carrot for all soils.
