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A list of heritage vegetable varieties, with pictures

These are heritage, heirloom or public domain varieties (including some newly bred ones, the heirlooms of the future) which I've either grown in my garden or am in the process of growing. All are open-pollinated (non-hybrid). It's really just a small selection because it's based on my own experience rather than info collected from elsewhere, and my collection is dominated by peas, but the chart is growing all the time and I hope you find the information useful. Some varieties have been fully reviewed ... just follow the links.

Pictures are available wherever you see a clickable link (green-red text). You will need to use the Back button on your browser to get back to this page after viewing a picture. All images are © Rebsie Fairholm. Enjoy them, but please ask permission before re-using them for anything else.

 

< •> Beans, climbing < •> Beans, dwarf < •> Garlic < •> Peas < •> Peppers < •> Potatoes < •> Tomatoes < •>

 

Peas (for a full list of what I have, click here)
VARIETY
ORIGIN
SEEDS
PLANT/LEAF
FLOWERS
YOUNG PODS
MATURE PODS
Alaska
(syn. Earliest of All)
1880s
Laxton's
pale bluey-green, dimpled
dwarf, to 3ft
green, smallish
Alderman
1891
Laxton's
large, pale, wrinkled
6ft tall
Carouby de Maussane
FULL REVIEW
19thC
France
brown-tan
tall, flushed red
pink/maroon, fading to blue
Carruthers' Purple Podded
heirloom
Co. Down
green/tan variable
6ft tall
pink/maroon
purple, smooth, flat
Champion of England
1843
W. Fairbeard
green, wrinkled
Clarke's Beltony Blue
heirloom
Co. Tyrone
tan, blocky
6ft tall
pink/maroon
purple, smooth, flat
Corne de Bêlier
(syn. Tall White Sugar)
19thC
France
pale buff, round
5ft tall
creamy white
wide, flat, green
wide, green, bumpy
Desirée
brown-tan, blocky
3ft, semi-dwarf
pink/purple, veined
dark purple, wide, flat
very dark purple, leathery
Duke of Albany
1882
pale green, very wrinkled
very tall, 8ft
Ezethas Krombek Blauwschok
Holland
large, brown
pink/purple
purple
purple
Gladstone
1890s
Mr Holmes
pale green, very wrinkled
5ft tall
green
green
Golden Sweet

India

5ft tall, flushed red, beautiful
pink/purple, partly closed
bright yellow
pale yellow, knobbly
Gravedigger
FULL REVIEW
heirloom
green, in pairs, mid-size
green, plump
Irish Preans
FULL REVIEW
Ireland
very tall, 8ft +
pink/maroon
green, in pairs, flat, smallish
green, smallish
Kent Blue
heirloom
small, round, speckled blue
3ft, semi-dwarf
Lancashire Lad
1900s
Carter's
flushed red
purple, in pairs
purple, in pairs
Magnum Bonum
FULL REVIEW
1860s
very large, green, wrinkled
green, large
green, large with huge peas
Mr Bethell's Purple
Podded
heirloom
north England
olive green, blocky
Ne Plus Ultra
1847
pale green, smooth
6ft tall
white
long, green
long, green, full
Opal Creek
FULL REVIEW
USA
Dr A. Kapuler
pale green/cream, bullet shaped
white
pale yellow, slim smooth sugarpod
Robinson
heirloom
Scotland?
pale green, wrinkled
green
green, curved, pointy
Salmon-Flowered
FULL REVIEW
heirloom
small, rosy-buff, round
rare 'crown' type, 5ft tall
small, horizontal, green
plump, horizontal, rosy green
Sugar Magnolia
USA
Dr A. Kapuler
earthy green, dimpled
giant, 10ft tall
purple sugarpod
Taiwan Sugar
Taiwan
small, tan, dimpled
dwarf, less than 2ft
very pale pink
small, flat, green
flat, green
Thomas Laxton
Laxton's
green, wrinkled
green
 
 
 
     
   
Beans, climbing (pole)
VARIETY
ORIGIN
SEEDS
PLANT/LEAF
FLOWERS
YOUNG PODS
MATURE PODS
Bridgwater Bean
heirloom
Somerset
buff with purple whorls
bright green, smallish leaves
mauve
flushed blue
Caseknife
pre-1820
thin, white, kidney
knarled leaves, strong climber
creamy white
green, shaped like a small knife
Coco Bicolour
white/speckled bicolour
smallish leaves
small, green
Kew Blue
heirloom
Kew Gardens
tan, kidney, with speckles
mauve
dark purple, smooth, paired
Lazy Housewife
Major Cook's Bean
heirloom
pre-1920
vigorous, coarse foliage
mauve
Meraviglia di Venezia
(Marvel of Venice)
Italy
charcoal black, rounded
tall, large leaves
pinky-mauve
Mrs Fortune's
heirloom
Pea Bean
heirloom
creamy white
Poletschka
heirloom
Ukraine
purple-black, shiny
vigorous, tall
green, flat with bumps
Purple Giant
heirloom
Australia
tan, mottled
pretty, purple stems, green leaf
purple
dark purple, flat
purple, flattish
Salford Black
(runner bean)
heirloom
Oxfordshire
black, chunky
bright orangey-red
San Antonio
big, rounded, white with brown splodge
huge leaves, bright green
wide, wavy-edged, flattish
Serbian Pole
Serbia
bright green leaves
mauve
green, wide, flattish
Spagna Bianco
(runner bean)
white, huge
vigorous
white, fading to cream
Trionfo Violetto
Italy
small tan kidney
dark green leaves
purple, flattish
purple, knobbly
 
       
     
   
Beans, dwarf (bush)
VARIETY
ORIGIN
SEEDS
PLANT/LEAF
FLOWERS
YOUNG PODS
MATURE PODS
Black Valentine
small kidney, black, shiny
Brighstone
heirloom
Isle of Wight
buff with purple whorls, kidney
bright green leaves
violet-purple
dark blue, very mottled, flat
Canadian Wonder
large-ish plants
pale green, flat
pale green, flat
Comtesse de Chambord
France
Dog Bean
variant of Jacob's Cattle
white with burgundy sploshes
Early Warwick
green with pointy tip
green, flattish
Negritos
charcoal black, small, rounded
Nun's Belly Button
creamy white
Purple Prince
dark purple with pinky-tan flecks
Purple Queen
dark green foliage, some purple
silky dark purple, in pairs
dark purple, silky, flat
Vermont Cranberry
USA
cranberry kidney with tan flecks
robust plants
green, flat
 
       
     
   
Garlic
VARIETY
ORIGIN
SCAPE TYPE
TYPE
BULBS
CLOVES
CLOVE NO.
Cuban Purple
hardneck
Creole
small when grown in temperate zone
strongly purple, elegant, streaked
about 9 per bulb
Dominic's Rocambole
hardneck
Rocambole
largeish, pure white
big, plump, dusky gold with pink
about 4 per bulb
Music
Italy via USA
hardneck
Porcelain
large, elegant, porcelain white
huge, shiny, gold blushed pink
usually 4 per bulb
Persian Star
hardneck
Purple Stripe
mid-size, white, star-like cloves
mid-size, soft purple streaks
8 or 9 per bulb
Purple Glazer
hardneck
Purple Stripe
coarse skin, mid-size, off-white
mid-size, plump, deep purple
about 6 per bulb
Rose de Lautrec
Lautrec, France (PGI)
hardneck
Creole?
large, outer wrappers coarse
medium-large, candy pink blush
variable - 10 per bulb or more
Solent Wight
Isle of Wight
softneck
smallish, translucent white
small, variable, purple streaks
variable - 12 per bulb or more
 
       
     
   
Potatoes
VARIETY
ORIGIN
TYPE/SPROUT
PLANT/LEAF
FLOWERS
TUBERS
CUT TUBERS
British Queen
1894
A. Findlay
second early
pinky green
fairly typical
creamy white flesh
Edzell Blue
pre-1915
Scotland
second early
white flesh
Fortyfold
pre-1836
late maincrop
fell off
thick skin, yellowy flesh
Highland Burgundy Red
uncertain
maincrop
deep crimson
straggly plants, red tinged stems
burgundy red, netted skin
Mr Little's Yetholm Gypsy
Yetholm, Scotland
early maincrop
purple and green
Red Duke of York
1942, sport of Duke of York
first early
very dark red
golden-cream flesh
Salad Blue
confused
early maincrop
dark blue
dark purple-blue
Sharpe's Express
1900, England
C. Sharpe
first early
pinky green
creamy white
Shetland Black
pre-1920 Shetland Isles
second early
glossy black
smallish leaves, dark green
Witch Hill
(syn. Snowdrop)
1881?
England
second early
bright green, compact
 
       
     
   
Tomatoes
VARIETY
ORIGIN
TYPE
FLOWERS
UNRIPE FRUIT
RIPE FRUIT
CUT FRUIT
Anna Russian
Russia via Oregon, USA
indeterminate
mid-season
large, chunky
green heart
oxheart, pinkish
Apricot Brandywine
potato leaf
Banana Legs
Tater Mater 1984
determinate
mid-season
Black Plum
heirloom
Russia
big, indeterminate
mid-season
stigma pokes out
dense green plum w/ dark shoulder
thick grainy flesh, darkish gel
Black Prince
heirloom
Irkutsk Siberia
indeterminate
mid-season
Caro Rich
indeterminate
mid-season
variable shape, pale green
Clementine
France
indeterminate
bright golden yellow mini-hearts
Copia
USA
indeterminate
large, complex
striped deep pink and green, bulbous
fleshy, complex, green with pink
Des Andes
the Andes, via France
semi-determinate
mid-season
pepper-shaped
Douce de Picardie
FULL REVIEW
heirloom
north France
indeterminate
mid-season
Green Tiger
FULL REVIEW
Marks & Spencer
indeterminate
mid-season
Isis Candy
East Europe via USA
indeterminate
early
Muskovite
Island of Sakhaline
indeterminate
mid-season
Orange Banana
heirloom
Russia
indeterminate
mid-season
medium size
longish, green
long, orange with pointed end
Orange Strawberry
FULL REVIEW
indeterminate
mid-season
oxheart, large, bright orange
bright orange, very fleshy, few seeds
Peacevine Cherry
(dehybridised Sweet 100)
USA
Dr A. Kapuler
indeterminate
mid-season
bright red, thin flesh, lots of tiny seeds
Roma
heirloom
Italy
plum-shaped
plum-shaped
fleshy, few seeds
Salt Spring Sunrise
Canada
J. James
determinate
mid-season
lopsided with a few pleats
San Marzano
heirloom
Italy
indeterminate
mid-season
fine, smallish
pear-shaped
pear-shaped
solidly fleshy
Siniy
heirloom
Estonia
potato leaf
mid-season
big and chunky
largish, pinkish
Speckled Roman
USA
mid-season
long sepals
orange and red, long and pointy
Tangella
heirloom
England
indeterminate
mid-season
bright orange globe
Teton de Venus
(Venus' Nipple)
heirloom
France
mid-season
small cone, long petals
green lopsided heart
pointed heart shape with nipple
Tigerella
England
indeterminate
early
medium size
smooth, green with stripes
red with orangey stripes, round
thin red flesh, very juicy
Yellow Taxi
determinate
early
bright yellow
 
       
     
   
Peppers (sweet and chilli)
VARIETY
ORIGIN
PLANT/LEAF
FLOWERS
UNRIPE FRUIT
RIPE FRUIT
CUT FRUIT
Boldog Hungarian Spice
Hungary
Bulgarian Carrot
(syn. Shipkas)
Bulgaria via USA
white
long, orange, carrot-shaped
Corno Giallo
(Yellow Bull's Horn)
heirloom
Italy
tall
white
green bull's horn
yellow bull's horn
Corno Rosso
(Red Bull's Horn)
heirloom
Italy
tall
white
green bull's horn
red bull's horn
Hungarian Semi-Hot
heirloom
Hungary
Kaibi Round No.2
Bulgaria/Real Seeds
medium size
white
Lemon Drop
Brazil
medium size
white
bright green, long, twisted
Lipstick
USA
white
Napia
Bulgaria
medium size
white
green bull's horn
thin flesh
Orange Bell
1989
A. Heklar
tallish
very wide, white
dark green, slightly pleated
bright orange square bell
Perfection
Hungarian (selection)
white
Pretty In Purple
1930s
USA
foliage streaked purple
small, mauve, flat, very pretty
small, dark purple
purple
Red Ruffled
medium size
white
round, ribbed, green
round, ribbed, red
 
       
   
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