Irish seed conservationists have banked over 800 varieties of heritage seeds in their quest to save Ireland’s vegetable, potato and fruit varieties from extinction.
The Irish Seed Saver’s Association, based in Scarriff, Co. Clare, is dedicated to conserve Ireland’s very special and threatened plant genebank for future generations. As well as the seed bank, it looks after a native apple tree collection, together with the country’s only orchard in which trees grow on their own roots (rather than being grafted). With over 33 varieties, it’s believed to be the largest collection of its kind in the world.
Projects undertaken so far include building collections of rare and threatened varieties of both Irish grains and brassicas, plus the establishment of the Native Irish Apple Collection including over 140 old heritage varieties with rarities such as the octagon-shaped Eight Square from Co. Monaghan, and Beauty of Ballintaylor from South Tipperary.
Many of the varieties the ISSA has saved have now come back into wider circulation and you can enjoy their unusual shapes and delicious flavours in your own back garden, too. Look out for Irish heritage varieties on the seed racks in our garden centre here in Co. Limerick to try in the veg patch this year.