Say What? A Glossary of Gardening Terms

From: Gardeners Supply - Friday Feb 26,2021 02:03 pm

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Plant Terminology: Hybrids, Heirlooms, and More

Understanding terminology can go a long way to helping you choose just the right plants for your needs. Here’s a rundown of some common terms you’ll see on seed packets and plant labels.

F1 Hybrid Sometimes simply referred to as hybrids, these plants are created by plant breeders to enhance certain traits, such as improved hardiness, larger flowers, tastier fruit, or better disease-resistance. For example, Early Girl is an F1 hybrid tomato that is resistant to several common diseases.

Open-Pollinated If a plant isn't a hybrid, it's described as open-pollinated (OP). Note that if a plant isn’t labeled as a hybrid, you can assume it’s OP. In nature, these plants are usually pollinated by insects or the wind. Because the flow of pollen is unrestricted, OP plants have lots of genetic diversity.

Heirloom Horticulturists differ on how they define the term “heirloom.” Many people consider a plant an heirloom if it is open-pollinated (non-hybrid) and has been around for at least 50 years. Others say it must have a record of being handed down generation to generation.

Variety A variety is a form of a species that is slightly different than the “regular” species, but not different enough to warrant a new species. Varieties are often found in nature.

Cultivars The term cultivar is shorthand for “cultivated varieties” and refers to plants that have been developed or discovered by plant breeders. The plants are often propagated vegetatively, such as by rooting cuttings. Some cultivars are patented.

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