This is a curated collection of seeds I have found to grow well in Florida over the years. It is designed to take the overwhelm and thought process out of figuring out which varieties to select that will actually grow well here. Some of the seed is saved from myself and other small local growers for harder to source varieties that you cant find online. The majority of the seed varieties will come from larger seed supply companies like Working Food or Southern Exposure Seed Exchange to keep up with demand.
67 days. (an, cub) 7 ft. vines are covered with crunchy round yellow fruits. Harvest at 1½ in. for pickling, 2 in. for salads. Excellent, never-bitter, old-fashioned cucumber flavor with a hint...
(C. moschata) 110 days. This near-legendary butternut-type was one of the first rediscovered heirlooms that fueled the early heirloom movement. Fruit is large, to 40 lbs or more, though 12-20...
56 days [1984, AAS Winner] Extra- early. Crisp, flavorful 3 in. snap peas. Compact 2 ft. vines don’t require trellising. Also good for fall crop. Freezes well. Packet: Small packet (~123...
Landrace with wide variation in beautiful leaf colors. Green, blue-green, and purple leaves with white, pale green, and plum-colored veins. Smaller leaves than most collards; plants can be more closely...
(Lycopersicon pimpinellifolium) 76 days. (Indeterminate) [Introduced by SESE 1994.] Large currant-type ½ in. orange-red fruits borne in clusters of 12. The berry-sized fruits are larger than true currant tomatoes and...
(Matricaria recutita) The sweet-scented flowers of Chamomile are used to make Chamomile tea which has a distinctive apple-like flavor and fragrance. Medicinal: Chamomile has long been used as a carminative,...
[Brought to the Americas from Africa during the slave trade, grown by Jefferson at Monticello.] Once the standard for southern peas, this variety is drought-tolerant and will grow in almost...
This gorgeous plant in the solanaceous family (related to peppers, tomato, eggplant) is native to the drier regions of India, Northern Africa and the Middle East. It's popularly used in...
(Tagetes patula) 93 days. Tidy 3-4 ft. tall plants are covered with dark red-purple single flowers with a dramatic gold rim around each petal. 8 in. stems make lovely bouquets....
(green > red) The classic salsa chile. Hot 1" x 2" thick-walled peppers are usually harvested green but can be left to mature to red. A teaspoon of jalapeno vinegar...
(B. Rapa Chinensis) 44 days. Great salad green - fast-growing plants make enormous loose heads of light green, ruffled leaves. Very mild - almost lettuce-like in flavor - with good...
[1870] A garden favorite appreciated for its fine texture, mild flavor, and very small core. Cylindrical roots average 6-1/2” long, 1 to 1-1/2” at the shoulder. Can be grown for...
(C. pepo) 62 days. This Italian heirloom zucchini is favored for flavor. Fruits remain tender even at 18 in.; best picked at 12 in. Heavily ribbed fruits are striped with...
Tall, 4-6’ plants are best staked, caged, or pruned. Vines can be allowed to skim the ground if desired. Berries average 1-1/2” in diameter and are pale yellow-green when ripe....
(Amaranthus viridis) [Jamaican variety, via Melissa DeSa in FL.] Tasty, quick-growing, self-sowing hot weather greens popular throughout the African diaspora, as well as in Asian cuisines. The abundant leaves are...
[Introduced 1965 by Clemson/AES.] Exceeds disease resistance of many hybrid cantaloupes. Has resistance to Alternaria leaf spot, powdery mildew, and downy mildew. Well adapted to the Mid-Atlantic region and hot,...
[Pre-1840 heirloom.] 'Chiogga' is a beautiful bicolored scarlet red garden beet with interior rings of reddish pink and white. This specialty Italian variety is notable for its earliness, attractive color,...
54 days. [Selected by Merlyn and Mary Ann Niedens of Illinois.] Beautiful 5-7 in. golden yellow flowers borne on 30 in. plants, perfect for borders and growing seed to feed the birds...
(Basella alba var. rubra) 70 days. These Asian greens are a great summer substitute for spinach. The fleshy leaves and stems are high in vitamins A and C. Excellent for...
(C. pepo) 48 days. [1938, AAS winner.] Straight, lemon-yellow, slightly club-shaped fruits. Harvest small, when 3-7 in. long. The quality of the flesh is excellent. Plants are very vigorous, hardy,...
(Zinnia elegans) Large 4 in. single, double and semi-double blooms in mixed colors on 48 in. tall plants. Tolerant to alternaria and mildew. A wonderful cut flower for bouquets. Popular...
[Introduced from New Zealand in 1772.] A heat- and drought-tolerant cooked spinach substitute with soil requirements similar to spinach. Seed should be soaked from 4 to 24 hours before planting...
(Borago officinalis) 80 days. Borage is a bushy herb with bright blue edible flowers. The plant has been used to attract bumble bee pollinators to garden plots. The leaves can...
This heirloom was brought to the USA from Germany in the 1880s and so named because the huge flower heads often take on the appearance of an elephant’s trunk. The...
65 days. [Introduced from France in the late 1800s.] Blocky, broad-shouldered variety with blunt tip, 5½ in. long and 2½ in. at the shoulder. Deep-orange interior. Adaptable to clay and a...
[Selected from a Fla. heirloom by Walt Childs, introduced by SESE 1989.] An excellent garden variety watermelon with strawberry-red flesh which ripens to within 1/2” of the rind. The texture...
80 days. [1947] Large, smooth, white heads are uniform, solid, and smooth. Widely adapted, well suited for fall crops. Pkt (2 g). Good to start from seed in these months: North Florida:...
(Raphanus sativus) 50 days. [Originating from Asia, daikon (pronounced “dye-con”) is the Japanese word for radish.] We obtained this from one of the best known farmers around, “Farmer John” in...
62 days. [Taiwanese variety] Shiny deep lavender fruits can grow to 2 x 11 in. and longer. If plants are kept upright the fruits can be kept straight for over...