Why are growing numbers of people choosing to buy seeds from Irish Seed Savers?

The ethos here at Irish Seed Savers Association, is to conserve and distribute wonderful rare and heritage varieties, as well as to encourage the skills of saving your own seed and empowering people to do this in their own gardens, small holdings or farms.

All of our seeds are grown and saved in Ireland and are Open Pollinated which allows you to save your own seeds from them, keeping the variety true to type. By choosing Irish Seed Savers Open Pollinated Seeds you contribute to keeping food security in your own hands and Irish agricultural biodiversity alive and vibrant.

Download 2024 Heirloom Seed Catalogue

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Superschmeltze Kohlrabi

€3.50

A German heritage variety of champion size, originally from Schmeltz. Rich soil and plenty of space is required for this mammoth vegetable, which can reach up to 8kg over a long season. The colour is white to light-green and despite its large size, this kohlrabi remains tender and buttery-soft. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 200

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Syrian White Courgette

€3.50

This variety came to us via a Syrian refugee. The young courgettes are pale green, almost white. The small and delicious fruits retain good flavour as they mature. Highly successful outdoor crop.

Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 10

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Brown Gold Ring Lettuce

€3.50

Won an award of merit from the RHS 1923. A deliciously tasting variety with more substance than modern Cos varieties. Hardy, it can be overwintered with little protection & has proved quite slug-resistant. Certified Organic. Average Seeds Per Pack: 200

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Stupice Tomato

€3.50

A Czech heirloom cordon variety, highly recommended by many who have grown it over the years. It is a very reliable, good cropper, ripening quite early with an abundance of medium-sized, round, tangy red fruits. Grows outside as well as under cover. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 30

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Sendai Ki Tamanegi Onion

€3.50

A really excellent, large Japanese Onion. Wonderful flavour and great storage properties. It even won a prize at the Clare Garden show many years ago. Sendai is a city in Japan’s Tohoku Region, northeast of Tokyo on Honshu Island. Tamangi is the Japanese word for Onion and we are very grateful to Matteo Petitti, former colleague and long-time supporter for introducing this open-pollinated variety to us directly from Japan where his partner Tomomi hails from.

Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 200

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John’s Purple Carrot

€3.50

This wonderful variety has been selected from a bunch of orange carrots by John Purves in Oxford in the 1970s. Over time he obtained a pure line of purple roots, quite beautiful and unique, crisp and extremely flavoursome. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 700

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Shinkinu Onion

€3.50

This is a very popular overwintering onion from Japan. The big, delicious, golden bulbs of this variety store exceptionally well, up to a year. Perfect for roasting and soups. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 200

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Amber Tomato

€3.50

This heritage bush variety from Russia is a productive early cropper. As a northern-climate tomato, this variety is suitable for growing even in wet and cool conditions. The round fruit are medium-sized, ripening to a deep golden yellow/amber colour. These mild, sweet fruits would be a welcome addition to any salad. Average seeds per pack 30

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East Friesian Palm Kale

€3.50

This rare landrace kale from the Friesland area of northern Germany can no longer be found in commercial catalogues. “Highly praised and almost gone’”, according to grower Reinhard Lühring, “In the shade of the East Friesen Palm we cannot stroll under the southern sun, but we enjoy the green all winter long”. A very tall curly kale that can be harvested from late summer all the way through the winter and into the following spring. Average seeds per pack 200

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Hayachinena Japanese Greens

€3.50

Wonderful vigorous mustard greens with lush big, brilliant-green leaves. The flavour of these leaves is delicious and not too strong compared with other more pungent mustards. Especially nice steamed and served with a lemon juice and soya sauce dressing. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 500

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Shintokiwa Cucumber

€3.50

A long Japanese burpless type, tender and sweet even when large. This productive and delicious variety needs to be grown with protection.

Average Seeds Per Pack: 16

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Red Faro Quinoa

€3.50

From the North of Chile, ‘Red Faro’ is both productive and attractive with red-pink foliage and cream seed heads. Less prone to mold and suitable for our cool, damper climate. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 300

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Angelica

€3.50

A herb taking its name from an angel who revealed its virtues of protection from infection to a monk. It is a biennial, though often lives longer, and can grow to a height of 2m. A statuesque plant which is is easy to grow, prefers damp ground and self-seeds readily. All parts of this lovely plant are subtly aromatic and have both medicinal and culinary uses. It is often cooked with tart fruits like rhubarb, helping to reduce the acidity. The seeds are used in biscuits, and both seed and root are ingredients in some liqueurs. BIENNIAL Average seeds per pack 100

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Grandpa Admires Lettuce

€3.50

A variety named for an American civil war veteran born in 1822. This lovely loose-leaved lettuce has large, crisp, juicy leaves that are light green in colour tinged with bronze. Grows well even in poor weather.

Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 200

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Sean Flynn’s Westmeath Greens (Cabbage)

€3.50

Grown originally by Sean Flynn of Killucan/Cloughan, Co. Westmeath, we trialled this cut-and-come variety in 2020. A medium-sized cabbage, with a lightly crinkled, semi-flat green leaf. The flavour is mild and delicious, producing plenty of leaves throughout the season. Average Seeds Per Pack: 250

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Galina Siberian Tomato

€3.50

This yellow cherry tomato was introduced from Siberia so it's well-adapted to cool climes. Vigorous and early maturing. Producing numerous trusses of bright yellow fruit. with an irresistable complex sweet flavour. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 45

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Pam’s Speckled Climbing French Bean

€3.50

Originally from China, this variety was donated to us by supporter Pam from Wales, who has saved this beautiful bean for 20 years. The pods are streaked dark purple-red against light green, making them a highly decorative plant as well as being delicious to eat. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 30

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Rocoto Chilli Pepper

€3.50

A rare variety originally from Peru, this chilli is a mainstay of native peoples on both sides of the Andes. Its high pungency has given rise to regional names like ‘levanta muertos’ (raising the dead) or ‘gringo huanuchi’ (gringo killer). It scores 7-8 (out of 10) on the Scoville Scale invented to test the ‘fire’ of chilli peppers. A fantastic cropper producing lots of vibrant red, round fruit. It is also one of the most cold tolerant capsicum varieties and produces plenty of seed for saving! Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 25

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Evening Primrose

€3.75 (€3.75 incl VAT)

Beautiful yellow, bowl-shaped, flowers along a tall spike. Blooming from June to September. They release a light fragrance in the evening and are very attractive to nighttime pollinators including moths. A tall plant that self-seeds readily. In modern times the oil has been extracted from the plant and used medicinally for regulating hormones. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 100

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Mila’s Bulgarian Red Pepper

€3.50

This tapering variety of pepper produces beautiful, thick-walled, juicy, sweet, scarlet fruits. The plants are vigorous and productive, with tapering fruits of 10-15cm in length developing in abundance throughout the autumn. They have waxy skin which may help them to be storable for longer. These seeds came to us via Clare Island from Christophe and Ciara who had grown them in their garden tunnels. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 25

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