Most plants use seeds to propagate themselves, as they’re easy to produce, spread readily, and have protective coverings for frost and heat. We take advantage of these characteristics annually as we plan and sow our dream gardens. Little seeds germinate into big species with unique characteristics.
Heirlooms are doubly special. They’re plants that growers pass down for generations to preserve their genetic qualities. These varieties sprout new seedlings that match their parents’ characteristics, meaning you can save their seeds for new, free specimens. Many world-famous tomatoes, roses, and pumpkins are heirlooms from previous generations.
Why should you start heirlooms from seed? There are two reasons. Firstly, seed starting creates stronger specimens than transplanting, as the seedlings have additional time in the ground. Secondly, some of these plants are only available from seed or are rare in nurseries. You can store seeds for safekeeping, giving you a future supply.
No matter why you choose to start these varieties from seeds, you won’t regret it. Heirloom plants include wildflowers, vegetables, herbs, and perennials. We cover a good mix to give you more than a few design options, regardless of where you garden. Without further ado, these are 27 heirloom plants you can grow from seed.
Sweet Annie
Sweet Annie is an aromatic annual herb originating from Eurasia. It’s a close relative of wormwood with a similar sweet fragrance. The aroma repels moths, but the nutritious flowers invite butterflies, bees, and pollinators wherever they bloom.
Sweet Annie dies after repetitive frosts but is tolerant of freezing temperatures. In warm winter zones 8 and above, seeds may persist in the soil and sprout in spring, establishing annual colonies. In all other cold zones, you’ll want to save seeds at the end of the season to grow new specimens the next spring.
Get sweet Annie started in your backyard by sowing seeds. Plant them indoors in pots two months before your last average frost date. They’ll sprout in 10 to 20 days and be ready for transplanting when temperatures remain above freezing. However, do not plant this plant if you live in its invasive range.
Indian Peace Pipe Nicotiana
A parent of the commercial tobacco plant, ‘Indian Peace Pipe’ nicotiana is a gorgeous flowering perennial for warm winter gardens. It sprouts white tubular blossoms that attract hummingbirds and butterflies with the promise of nectar. A row of these plants makes a dull entryway pop with color and fragrance.
In other zones below 10, treat ‘Indian Peace Pipe’ as a summer annual like tomatoes or peppers. It’ll grow exponentially taller under the heat of the sun, reaching heights of up to six feet! One note to consider is that this is an ornamental tobacco plant, and you should not ingest it.
Start ‘Indian Peace Pipe’ indoors like sweet Annie. Sow seeds two months before your last average frost date, then transplant mature seedlings outside once freezing temperatures disappear.
Impala Castor Bean
Have you ever heard of castor oil? It’s made from this plant, the castor bean! A unique variety, ‘Impala’ creates large, tropical-red seed heads that match its maroon leaves. Use this type in your pollinator garden to add an explosion of summer color.
Castor bean parts are poisonous when you eat them, and some growers may experience contact rashes from touching them. Use gloves when handling seedlings and adults. Castor oil isn’t toxic as it undergoes rigorous processing before it makes it onto grocery shelves.
Start castor bean seeds outside a week or two after the last frost in your area. Plant them an inch deep in your soil, and wait 15 to 30 days for them to germinate. Castor bean adults survive perennially in hardiness zones 8 through 11 but are summer annuals elsewhere. They are invasive in certain North American regions.
Rainbow Blend Coleus
Coleus creates myriad patterns with its multicolor leaves—use them for dramatic effect in raised beds, containers, and borders. Coleus flowers, but they’re small and inconspicuous. Its real showstoppers are the large, variegated leaves it produces.
‘Rainbow Blend’ collects multiple varieties into one packet. That way, you’ll have different hues of orange, red, white, green, and pink wherever you sow seeds. They’ll mature all summer and persist perennially in zones 11 and 12. Take stem cuttings if you live below these zones, and keep them in water indoors. They’ll root and you’ll have specimens ready to transplant next spring.
Start coleus seeds indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost in your area. Transplant seedlings outside once all frost has passed, or keep them indoors as houseplants. ‘Rainbow Blend’ produces seeds in autumn; collect them for a free source of future heirlooms.
Sea Holly
Sea holly adds blue glittery charm wherever it blossoms—it produces compound white flowers that mature to blue over time. They’re lovely in floral arrangements, bouquets, and as a gift to your friends. An herbaceous perennial throughout zones 5 through 9, this is one heirloom you’ll only plant once, and it’ll sprout for years.
Some superb heirloom varieties exist, like ‘Steel Blue’ with one-inch long flowers, and ‘Jade Frost’ with cream white tipped leaf edges. They’ll form tap roots with age, making each specimen drought-resistant in light of heat and low moisture.
Start sea holly seeds indoors two to three months before the last frost in spring. They germinate well with soil temperatures between 70–75°F (21-24°C) but may take up to three months to sprout. Transplant mature, leafy seedlings outside during frost-free weather.
Cardinal Climber
I love cardinal climbers for their tubular, red flowers, lacey foliage, and vigorous growth habit. They excel during summer weather, performing similarly to their morning glory relatives. They’re perennial in zones 11 and 12 but grow well as summer annuals elsewhere.
Cardinal climbers appreciate direct sunlight for six to eight hours and need consistent moisture throughout the growing season. Give them a trellis, stake, or wall to grow on, as they readily vine and climb when happy. I’ve grown one that completely covered my fence in two months, going from a seedling to a mature plant in a single season!
Start cardinal climber seeds outdoors a half inch deep in the soil. Wait to plant until at least two weeks after the last average frost in your zone. Seedlings take five to fifteen days to emerge, and they sprout their gorgeous red blossoms after a few weeks of growing.
Livingstone Daisy
Livingstone daisies resemble other ice plants, except they’re frost-tolerant annuals! These fleshy groundcovers create temporary carpets that bloom profusions of bright color blossoms. The flowers open under direct sunlight; cloud cover and nighttime cause them to close. Varieties range from pink, white, yellow, and orange! They attract bees by the dozens, offering nectar and pollen to their visitors.
‘Sparkle Blend’ combines multiple varieties into one seed packet. You’ll enjoy different flowers and colors with a single sowing. Use them in containers as a spiller over the edges, or try them as a bedding plant on bare, sunny sites. Whatever your use case, give Livingstone daisies excellent drainage, low water, and full sun.
Start these succulents in your garden using their tiny seeds. Plant them two weeks before your last frost date in zones 8 and below. In zones 9 and above, sow them during fall for winter through spring blooms.
Blackberry Lily
Red spots decorate orange flowers on this lily-like perennial. Sword-like foliage grows from central stalks below the flowers, making for a tall, elegant structure. Incredibly tall and heavy stems may fall over to continue blooming on the ground. After pollination, these orange blossoms morph into green seed structures resembling their Iris relatives’ pods.
The pods dry to expose black, shiny seeds, giving this perennial the perfect name “blackberry lily.” It’s native to countries in Asia and Russia, although it thrives throughout USDA zones 5 through 10. Mulching protects young specimens extra in cold winter zones.
Start seeds indoors in 5” pots. They germinate best when soil temperatures remain between 65-85°F (18-29°C). Sow them two months before frost disappears from your garden; then, transplant mature seedlings outside during warm spring temperatures.
Bunny Tails Grass
An annual grass with fuzzy seed heads, bunny tails grasses are the perfect heirloom plants to stuff in between your other ornamentals. They stay short, under 20 inches, and won’t spread wide. They can reseed themselves if you leave seed heads on the plants. Cut them off for bouquets, and you’ll prevent volunteer seedlings from sprouting where you don’t want them to.
These grasses are drought-hardy once they establish themselves. They need consistent moisture as seedlings and will need more water the more sunlight they receive. Situate bunny tails in full sun or partial shade to get as many decorative seed heads as possible.
Start this grass outside using seeds. Sow them two to four weeks before frost dissipates from your garden, while temperatures are still cool. They’ll germinate in 10 to 20 days and quickly expand with warm temperatures.
Blue Grama Grass
Blue grama grass is just as decorative as bunny tails! Unlike bunny tails, blue grama is perennial from zones 3 through 10. It sprouts thin grassy fronds in early spring before blooming horizontal rows of furry flowers. They fade to brown, making a pleasant ornamental arrangement where they persist. The seed heads resemble eyelashes, with fuzzy hairs extending from a central stalk.
Not only is blue grama beautiful, but it’s also a native plant! Skipper butterflies live on the grass fronds, and various bird species eat the seeds. Blue grama attracts these animals, and it’s exceptionally drought tolerant. If you’re looking for a hardy, native, heirloom grass, blue grama is the ornamental plant to direct seed this season.
Sow blue grama seeds in late summer for fall germination. They’ll overwinter beneath snow or mulch cover, and emerge in spring with new growth. You may also sow seeds outside two to four weeks before your last frost in spring.
Common Sorrel
An heirloom leafy green, common sorrel grows edible foliage that works well in salads, smoothies, and pickled greens. It’s an attractive plant that some gardeners consider ornamental. It thrives in a variety of settings, from vegetable beds to decorative borders. Drought and frost-tolerant, sorrel is a wonderful species that naturalizes itself over time.
While spinach, swiss chard, and amaranth greens fade during winter, sorrels resist freezing. Their intense cold hardiness means they’re also one of the first leafy plants to sprout back in spring. They are hardy perennials that grow despite harsh conditions from USDA zones 3 through 7.
Sow seeds in late fall or winter for spring germination. Alternatively, plant them a week or two before the last frost date in your local area. Sorrel produces seeds each year on tall stems—collect them for a lifetime supply of sorrel seeds.
Garlic Chives
Garlic chives, also “Chinese chives,” lend garlic flavor to stir-fries, soups, and casseroles. They’re also perfect for fresh preparations like salads and charcuterie boards. Along with garlic flavor, they slightly taste like honey and onions.
Garlic chives sprout white flowers on tubular stems in midsummer while the days are long. You’re not the only one who enjoys them—bees and pollinating insects flock to the flowers! Garlic chives are cold hardy, sprouting perennially from zones 3 through 9. Situate them in your herb garden for endless flowers and tasty foliage. They also function well near ornamental plants like bee balm, pineapple sage, and roses.
Sow garlic chives seeds outside four to six weeks before the final frost in your gardening zone. They can take anywhere from 10 to 15 days to sprout. In mild winter climates, sow seeds two months before your first frost in autumn. Seedlings will overwinter and start exponentially growing in spring.
Common Chives
A close relative of garlic chives, common chives are the ones you find in grocery stores and as potted plants in nurseries. These chives sprout purple flowers with star-shaped onion-like blossoms. They attract bees and bugs in droves, driving pollinating insects near your other crops. Plant common chives in vegetable beds, borders, or containers—they adapt well to a wide range of conditions.
Chives form large colonies over the years, as they’re perennial nature helps them survive harsh freezes. They’ll grow in partial shade but prefer full sun for maximum growth. Chop the foliage fresh in dishes that ask for green onions; they’re a tasty substitute with a milder flavor. Use the purple blooms fresh and dried in floral arrangements, or to make chives vinegar.
Sow this species in the same manner as garlic chives. Plant seeds outside four to six weeks before the last frost or two months before the first frost in autumn. Young chives sprout and eventually make seeds of their own. Collect them from spent flowers when they’re dark black, from midsummer through fall.
Bouquet Dill
Dill is a must-have heirloom for the herb garden. ‘Bouquet’ dill is a special variety that produces flowers and seeds earlier than most others. This means you’ll have a fresh supply of flavorings throughout the growing season instead of getting it all at once in autumn.
‘Bouquet’ dill, as the name suggests, sprouts large, yellow flower heads. They function effortlessly in floral arrangements, although they won’t produce seeds if you snip them all off. Leave a few flower heads on your plants to maintain a steady supply. Other dill varieties may reach ginormous heights, but ‘Bouquet’ fits in gardens easily with an average height of three feet.
Start sowing dill seeds one to two weeks before the final frost date in your zone. Then, make successive sowings every two to three weeks thereafter. This ensures you’ll have a consistent supply of aromatic seeds and foliage. These annual herbs die from extreme winter weather—save a few seeds at summer’s end for growing dill next year.
Rosemary
Warm-climate gardeners rejoice at the sight of rosemary. It’s an evergreen herb like lavender with aromatic leaves and eye-catching flowers. Cultivars exist in both ornamental and herbal forms; cascading rosemary blends hilly slopes, while ‘ARP’ is perfect for harvesting and drying with straight, long stems. Whatever type you decide upon, heirloom rosemary doesn’t disappoint.
Rosemary is frost-sensitive, and won’t perform well below zone 8. It needs long, warm summers and mild winters to thrive. Once it establishes itself in your landscape, rosemary is drought tolerant. It originates from the Mediterranean, where conditions are hot, dry, and sunny.
Rosemary seeds need temperatures between 65-75°F (18-24°C) to germinate most successfully. Sow seeds indoors in pots in a room of this temperature. Do this ten to twelve weeks before the last average frost date, then transplant seedlings outdoors once freezing temperatures are no longer present.
Tulsi Holy Basil
Tulsi holy basil makes a soothing tea that everyone should try once. The leaves lend a cool, aromatic flavor to recipes and drinks, and the flowers are delicate garnishes that add color. It grows like a frost-tender annual in all locales.
When left to flower, tulsi starts producing seeds for next year. Collect them for more plants, or keep seedlings as houseplants for a fresh supply of herbs through the winter. This basil doesn’t replace Greek basil well in recipes, as it’s a unique variety. Try it yourself to see why people consider it sacred in India, where they call it the Queen of Herbs.
Start holy basil seeds indoors a month before you’d like to transplant them into your garden. Bring them outside when night temperatures consistently hover above 50°F (10°C). Cover young plants with protection on frosty nights, as they’re more sensitive than adult basils.
English Thyme
Thyme is similar to oregano in aroma and flavor, although it grows lower to the ground and spreads wide. Thyme tastes milder, with hints of lemon and pine. It’s a hardy shrub perfect for low hedges, borders, or herb gardens. It’s a perennial in zones 5 through 9 but grows well as a summer annual when started early indoors.
English thyme needs good drainage, moderate water, and direct sunlight to thrive. It’ll sprout pink or white blossoms in clusters that attract pollinating insects. Situate a shrub or two near your vegetable garden, and they’ll lure bees to your other crops.
If growing thyme as a summer annual, start seeds indoors two months before the final frost date for your locale. Transplant mature specimens after freezing temperatures dissipate. At season’s end, spent flowers produce tiny black seeds. Collect them to propagate more English thyme next season.
Flat Leaf Parsley
A biennial we grow as an annual, parsley is one of the most common herbs worldwide. This flat-leaf heirloom plant lends a pungent, fresh flavor to meats, vegetables, and stews, and it’s very easy to start from seed. Flat leaf types are milder than curly leaf ones, meaning you can use more of them in your dishes for the same level of flavor.
Parsley is biennial, so it grows leaves its first year, overwinters, then sprouts flowers the second year. In cold winter areas in zone 6 and below, parsley may not survive consistent frosts. Fear not, as the leaves taste better their first year anyway. You’ll mainly want your parsley to flower if you plan on collecting its seeds.
Parsley germinates in cool temperatures above 50°F (10°C). Sow its seeds four to six weeks before your final frost date. They’ll germinate in a few weeks, and you’ll notice baby parsley seedlings sprouting outside. Keep them cool and moist, and they’ll produce ample herbal foliage to enjoy.
Munstead Lavender
Bring in the bees with ‘Munstead’ lavender! This heirloom variety stays compact, remaining under two feet for its lifetime. The flower heads make excellent bouquets both fresh or dried, and they lend a wonderful aroma to whatever room they’re in. Use lavender flowers to infuse simple syrups, baked goods, or salad dressings.
Lavender, like rosemary, originates from the Mediterranean region. It likes hot summers, six to eight hours of direct sunlight, and moderate water. This shrub may rot in compact, wet soils, so ensure it’s growing in dirt with excellent drainage.
Ensure sufficient development for your plants by sowing heirloom ‘Munstead’ seeds in pots indoors two to three months before the final frost date in your region.Give them a period of cold stratification for better germination rates. Transplant mature lavenders from late spring through summer when nighttime temperatures remain above 50°F (10°C). Once they establish themselves, these shrubs are cold hardy from plant zones 5 through 9.
Sweet Thai Basil
Another unique basil like tulsi, Thai basil adds aromatic flavors to dishes with hints of clove, anise, and Greek basil. It’s a necessary ingredient in Vietnamese phở, a soup dish with broth, meat or vegetables, and rice noodles. Grow it alongside tulsi and Greek basil for a supreme trinity of flavorings!
Like other types, Thai basil tastes best before it flowers. Harvest no more than a third of the plant at a time, leaving some stems and leaves to promote new growth. If you consistently harvest, these heirloom plants will struggle to flower and set seeds. Stop pruning them if you’d like to grow seeds for next year or if you’d like to see the pretty purple flowers they sprout.
Start Thai basil seeds indoors a month or six weeks before the predicted final frosts for your area. Transplant mature seedlings outside once nighttime temperatures remain above 50°F (10°C). They’re summer annuals in most gardens, and short-lived perennials in USDA zones 10 and 11.
Winter Savory
Winter savory is one of my favorite herbs for flavoring vegetables. It adds a savory, complex flavor to them so they taste meaty and herbal simultaneously. Add it to beans, chilies, and soups and it’ll infuse its deliciousness into your recipes. Winter savory is hardy for zones 4 through 8, and it sprouts white flowers in summer that attract bees and butterflies.
This heirloom plant needs full sun, regular water, and superb drainage to succesfully mature from seed. Give it similar conditions as rosemary or lavender, and it’ll thrive perennially. If you want savory flavor but live outside this heirloom’s hardiness zones, try summer savory. It tastes similar and is a summer annual for all zones.
Start winter savory indoors two or three months preceding the average final frost date. They’ll germinate in 10 to 20 days and slowly mature to transplanting size. Move them outside during late spring or summer when there’s no more frost.
Broadleaf Sage
Sage is both ornamental and herbal—its fuzzy grey-green leaves and purple flowers add texture and color wherever they grow. Broadleaf sage is particularly special, as it makes an excellent culinary herb. Fresh sage is perfect for lamb or fish, and dried sage crumbles well in homemade bread, stews, and roasted vegetables.
Heirloom sage plants originate from the Mediterranean, like rosemary and lavender and grows easily from seed. Give it similar conditions as these shrubs for it to excel. Grant it low water, well-drained soil, and full sun. Shrubs in hot summer climates may need additional irrigation during droughts and heat waves. Watch them for yellowing or leaf drop, as these signs show your sages are thirsty.
Sow sage seeds indoors. You’ll want to plant them in 5” pots with moist potting soil. Do this six to eight weeks ahead of your final freeze date. Sage seedlings transplant well once temperatures stay above 50°F (10°C).
Greek Oregano
A hardy, spicy herb with a strong flavor, Greek oregano is the perfect heirloom plant for beginner gardeners to start from seed. Chefs use it all over the world in a wide array of dishes, like beans or pasta. It’s also a main component in many seasonings, including adobo and Italian seasoning. Grow it yourself, and you’ll never have to buy it at the store again!
Greek oregano thrives under direct sunlight for six to eight hours a day, similar to the other Mediterranean herbs on this list. Give it water every few days once the soil dries. Greek oregano lures bees and bugs in when it flowers—leave them to attract pollinators, or cut them to promote more leafy growth.
You’ll start these oregano seeds indoors two months before freeze dissipates in your area. They need ample time to reach a mature, transplanting size. Once they have a few stems with multiple leaves, and there are no more freezes outside, you may move them into a location with full sun in your garden.
Mint
Cool, refreshing, and hardy, mint comes in many varieties. This indestructible herb spreads readily. It thrives in cold, mild temperatures common on the East Coast and the Pacific Northwest. Use its foliage fresh or dried for teas, desserts, and salad dressing infusions. Its flavor is immediately recognizable, and it’s the main ingredient in our toothpaste that adds the minty flavor.
Mint is extremely hardy, and it spreads readily using above-ground stems, underground rhizomes, and seeds. Situate it in a container, raised bed, or a border that limits its spread. Otherwise, it may creep out and invade your other perennials, and it may push out native plants. Mint is perennial throughout zones 6 through 12, and it sometimes survives winters down to zone 3.
Mint germinates readily from seeds in spring. Sow them outdoors two weeks after frost disappears from your growing zone. They germinate best when temperatures hover between 68-75°F (20-24°C), and they take around seven to fourteen days to sprout.
Borage
Borage is the pollinator plant for bees—they love the blossoms! Blue flowers bloom in profusion from spring through summer on three-foot-tall plants. Borage is an annual, and it reseeds readily when it’s happy. Situate it amongst your vegetables to lure pollinators in, or place it amongst your herbs for a lively backdrop.
This heirloom is a frost-tender annual that dies when freezing temperatures roll in. It reseeds readily when it’s happy from zones 2 through 11. Not only is borage great for bees, but it’s also edible! Steam or saute the leaves to eat them like chard or spinach, and put fresh flowers in salads for edible decorations.
Borage sprouts readily from seeds. They germinate best during cool spring temperatures above 40°F (4°C) and take about five to twenty days to emerge. Sow seeds outdoors a quarter inch deep in your soil. Plant them a week after the last frost for your zone.
King Henry Viola
Violas add delicate, gentle charm wherever they grow. ‘King Henry’ is a special heirloom plant that readily sprouts from seed. It has bright purple flowers and round, green leaves. Its blossoms are full of valuable pollen and nectar that pollinators flock to. One of the first blooming perennials, ‘King Henry’ brightens the late winter garden.
Perennial in zones 6 through 9, this viola is an annual elsewhere. It stays low to the ground but will creep out wide over time. Give your plants regular moisture, partial shade, and organically rich soil, and they’ll thrive year-round. Violas sometimes enter summer dormancy in dry conditions; keep your specimens moist to keep them growing.
‘King Henry’ germinates differently depending on the climate you garden in. Mild winter zones 8 and 9 should plant seeds during late summer for cool-season blooms. All other growers should plant them six weeks before your ultimate frost in spring. They’ll germinate while temperatures are cool and bloom their first year.
Catnip
Catnip is the heirloom plant to grow from seed for your kitties—they love eating it! It drives them wild with its natural essential oils. Not only do cats love this herb, but we humans can eat it too! Use this heirloom to make a soothing tea or dry it as a mint substitute in recipes. It adds more lemony flavors than mint does.
When left to flower, catnip blossoms lure native pollinators and honeybees to the site. They love bouncing from flower spike to flower spike as they suck nectar out of each one. Catnip may reseed after flowering, so cut off the spent blossoms before they drop seeds if you’d like to limit its spread. Hang the cut flowers to dry, then store them in glass jars. They’ll keep for a year or two in your pantry.
Catnip germinates readily outdoors but is easier to manage indoors. Sow your seeds two months ahead of spring in 5” pots. Thin seedlings to one per pot, and transplant them outdoors once freezing temperatures disappear for the season. It’ll sprout perennially from zones 3 through 9 but grows well as a summer annual elsewhere.
