Plants: What exactly is an heirloom?

Dahlia 'Arabian Night' via Wikipedia.

By Joel M. Lerner, APLD, Special to The Washington Post, h/t: theediblegarden

Many gardeners are confused by what constitutes an heirloom plant. For me, there is no set definition.

They can offer a sense of nostalgia — think bearded irises, foxgloves or hollyhocks randomly arranged along a mulched path, edged with forget-me-nots, hostas and fragrant white flowers of sweet woodruff in spring. Or they can be plants grown for their longevity and dependable flowering, such as day lilies, or their fragrance, like old-fashioned varieties of peonies, or plants in danger of vanishing for future generations.

Almost all heirlooms are considered products of natural pollination, generally not derived from hybridizing, grafts or other human intervention.

A century or two ago, plant collectors from North America and Europe sought variety — unique foliage, ferns and brilliantly colored flowers. These plants were passed from one generation to another. They became “old friends,” states Jo Ann Gardiner in her book, The Heirloom Flower Gardens: Rediscovering and Designing With Classic Ornamentals. Her definition is that heirlooms are plants we know because we grew up with them.

Here are some ornamentals that still work well in the garden:

Daffodils (Narcissus) are true bulbs that flower in spring and are planted in fall. They have been cultivated since Egyptian times and have been found in crypts and tombs, preserved after 3,000 years, according to Allan M. Armitage in his tome titled Herbaceous Perennial Plants. Introduced in 1899, King Alfred remains the most popular of large yellow daffodils.

Dahlias were grown by Aztecs for use as animal feed and medicinal plants. Armitage writes, “Passion for dahlias in the 1840s matched the tulip mania of the seventeenth century.” There are three Mexican species from which all modern garden dahlias originated: “D. pinnata, Aztec dahlia, with double purple flowers; D. coccinea, fire dahlia, with single, red flowers; and D. rosea, old garden dahlia, with single pink flowers,” according to Armitage. Old House Gardens has heirloom dahlias. Call (734) 995-1486.

White foxglove (Digitalis purpurea f. albiflora) is a stately upright growing biennial that continues to be an impressive form after more than a century of cultivation. Since its introduction in 1823, it has naturalized and become a common plant to find colonized in areas of woodlands. Ever since William Withering in England discovered in 1776 that digitalis helped dropsy, a disease related to the heart, it has been used as a heart medication. It is a toxic plant — even deer don’t eat it.

Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea) are plants you would expect to see in old-fashioned gardens. Single red flowers on tall, sparsely branching stems describe their trademark heirloom appearance. Gardeners have been growing these deer resistant, five- to six-foot tall biennials for centuries. Crusaders returning to England are believed to have introduced hollyhocks to the west.

Peonies in flower make a beautiful show, and when you see them you will want some in your garden. They first appeared in writing in 370 BC when Theophrastus, considered by many to be the “father of botany,” recommended this Mediterranean native for healing wounds. Its common name was the female peony (Paeonia officinalis). It had single crimson flowers and grew about three feet high and wide. The first double peony to appear in writing was white and written up in the publication “Herbal” in 1597. One source for heirloom varieties is Old House Gardens.

Fringed bleeding heart (Dicentra eximia) is a native from Georgia to Northern New York. Common bleeding heart (D. spectabilis) was introduced to England in the 1840s from Japan by plant explorer Robert Fortune. It is a shade-tolerant perennial, 24 to 36 inches tall with deeply cut foliage and white, pink or lavender flowers. It’s ornamental through the growing season. Deer, rabbits and other wildlife do not eat it because it contains many toxic alkaloids.

Roots of the winged bean at a market in Mandalay, Burma via Wikipedia.

Perhaps your idea of a perfect heirloom garden is bushy heads of cabbages in different colors and tomatoes that are larger, sweeter and juicier than grocery stores stock. Some of the first plants that you might consider as heirlooms are fruits and vegetables. Tomatoes were among those widely researched in the mid-nineteenth century. Many can be traced to Andrew F. Smith [see comment] Alexander W. Livingston (1822-1898), a Columbus, Ohio, horticulturist who became a leader of the earliest work on breeding tomatoes. Others are obscure vegetables that are written about in William Woys Weaver’s award-winning book Heirloom Vegetable Gardening.

Following are some interesting heirloom vegetables:

Asparagus pea or winged bean [has been called the "one species supermarket" because practically all of the plant is edible. The beans are used as a vegetable, but the other parts (leaves, flowers, and tuberous roots) are also edible. The tender pods, which are the most widely eaten part of the plant (and best eaten when under 1" in length), can be harvested within two to three months of planting.]

Chayote or chuchu (Sechium edule) was a predominately Southern vegetable. Prior to 1900 there were about a dozen recognized varieties. One vine from this prolific gourd family plant would produce a hundred pear-shaped fruits in one season. At least two vines are required for fruit.

Cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata) has been revived. Research suggests its importance as a crop historically, with continual cultivation for more than 1,000 years. This heirloom legume is used instead of, or with, okra or sweet potatoes.

Goober peas or groundnuts (Voandzeia subterranea) will grow as far north as Washington, D.C. This African-American heirloom was cultivated by slaves in this country and for hundreds of years prior to that in Africa. It’s a versatile vegetable that can be ground into a peanut butter type of paste, used as flour, eaten like nuts, and cooked like snap peas or beans.

Lerner is president of Environmental Design in Capitol View Park, Md., and author of “Anyone Can Landscape” (Ball, 2001). Contact him through his Web site, www.gardenlerner.com. jml@gardenlerner.com.