The Best Online Sources for Heirloom Seeds

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Bean pods and seeds scattered on a board.

Heirloom seeds are becoming increasingly more popular, but even so, they can sometimes be difficult to find in garden centers and other places that sell gardening supplies and seeds. And even if you are able to find heirloom seeds, the selection is usually nowhere near as large as what you can find when you shop online. So today I wanted to share some online stores that I would consider to be some of the best online sources for heirloom seeds.

Many of these seed companies are ones that I've ordered seeds from before, and a few are ones that I haven't personally ordered seeds from, but I've searched through their websites and reviewed them and I would recommend them as good sources that I would buy from if I chose to. (I've mentioned for each seed company below whether or not they are one that I have purchased seeds from before.)

Over the years I've gradually worked on saving more of my own seeds for the future, so I don't buy as many seeds now as I used to buy. And I'm also looking for very specific older heirloom varieties, particularly from the 19th century and earlier, so when I buy seeds I buy them from places where I am able to find those varieties. I also like to save on shipping costs when I can and buy seeds from just a few different seed companies each year rather than buying seeds from lots of different places and having to pay separate shipping for each one. So I buy from some of these companies some years and not others depending on what seeds I need each year.

The reason why I included some websites even though I haven't bought seeds from them is because, after looking through their websites, I think they would be a great resource for people looking to buy heirloom seeds and I also think that it's good to be aware of a lot of different options, especially since seeds can sometimes go out of stock from one website and you might be able to find them at another site. Or if you are looking for a specific variety, you might not be able to find it at one site, but you might be able to find it from another.

As I've mentioned before in a previous post about reasons for trying heirloom seeds, I love using heirloom seeds in my garden, and my garden is actually almost exclusively heirlooms now. One of the main reasons why I love heirloom seeds is because I love history and I find it really exciting to be able to taste the same varieties of vegetables that were grown in previous centuries. And another reason why I love open-pollinated heirlooms so much is because you can save your own seeds to plant again the next year unlike with hybrid seeds.

And another great thing about heirloom seeds is that you can try so many really unique and interesting varieties of vegetables that you'll never find in a grocery store or even at most farm stands. That's where this list came from actually, because I've done a LOT of online researching in the past to find specific hard-to-find heirloom varieties and along the way I discovered a lot of really great heirloom seed sources.

The Best Online Sources for Heirloom Seeds

There are dozens of different places to find heirloom seeds online, so it's really hard to narrow them down and the term "best" is really pretty subjective. So these sources are the ones that I've found that I think are good sources of heirloom seeds (although I'm sure there are lots of other great ones too!)

Note: While all of these companies offer heirloom seeds, a few of them also offer hybrid seeds as well so they are not all exclusively heirloom seeds. So that's just something to be aware of while you are browsing their websites to make sure you double check that the description mentions that they are an heirloom variety before you buy them. And while hybrid seeds aren't my personal preference because I love heirlooms, hybrid seeds are NOT the same as GMO seeds. So hybrid seeds can still be a perfectly good choice if you want a natural and non-GMO garden.

All of the information below is accurate to the best of my knowledge as of the time I am writing it, but it is possible that some websites could make changes between the time I write this and the time you view the website, so it would be a good idea to just double check any information that is important to you when you view these websites.

Seed Companies Where I Have Purchased Seeds for My Garden

The seed companies in this list are all ones that I have purchased seeds from at some point over the last several years. Because I don't need to purchase quite as many seeds now that I save a lot from my garden from year to year some of these companies are ones that I don't purchase seeds from each year because I am still saving the seeds that I originally bought from them. But they are all companies that I would consider buying from again if I needed to restock my seed stash. And since there are still some seeds that I purchase each year and occasionally varieties I haven't grown before that I want to try, some of these companies are ones that I buy from regularly or semi-regularly as needed.

This list is in the approximate order of companies that I discovered first to companies that I discovered more recently.

1) Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

All seeds are heirloom, open-pollinated, and non-GMO
Offers vegetable, flower, and herb seeds as well as a few live plants
Seeds are untreated but not officially certified organic
Supports the Safe Seed Pledge

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds is probably one of the biggest heirloom seed companies that I know of. They have a really huge selection of different heirlooms (over 2,000 varieties of vegetables, flowers, and herbs!) They have a lot of what I would consider to be more "modern" heirloom varieties, meaning that not all of their seed varieties are as old as I prefer my garden to be, but I also realize that I'm probably one of the few people that wants to stick to specific 19th century heirloom varieties. That being said, though, I've still found many seed varieties that have been ones I've wanted to include in my garden, and I've bought a lot of seed packets from them over the years.

And, in addition to all of the most popular heirloom varieties, they also have a lot of unique and exotic varieties that you might not find easily elsewhere. So if you're looking for some unusual vegetable varieties from all different parts of the world and different time periods in history, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds is a great source to check out. (They also offer free shipping as of the time I am writing this too!)

You can find Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds here:

2) Seed Savers Exchange

All seeds are heirloom seeds
Offers vegetable, herb, and flower seeds along with trees and transplants
Focuses on rare heirloom, open-pollinated seeds, and because of the variety of growers involved in the Exchange, seeds aren't all certified non-GMO.
Many seeds are grown organically, but not all seeds are officially certified organic.
Supports the Safe Seed Pledge

Seed Savers Exchange is a bit different from the typical online seed company. Seed Savers Exchange has a large seed bank dedicated to preserving heirloom varieties of seeds, and their collection comes from hundreds of backyard gardeners with seeds that have been passed down through the generations.

Seed Savers Exchange offers you two options for finding seeds. First, you can visit the "Shop" section where you can find a small selection of interesting heirloom varieties to buy directly from their website. Or, you can create a free account and visit the "Exchange" section to find a HUGE selection of heirloom seeds from gardeners all across the country. If there's a rare or hard to find variety that you've been looking for, there's a very good chance that you might be able to find someone on the exchange listing those seeds for sale!

I've bought seeds from them from their "Shop" section and I've also gotten a couple of potato varieties from their "Exchange" section before.

You can find Seed Savers Exchange here:

3) SeedsNOW

All seeds are heirloom, open-pollinated, and non-GMO
Offers vegetable, flower, and herb seeds
Supports the Safe Seed Pledge

One of the companies that I have an affiliate relationship with, SeedsNOW, is one of the places I recommend to beginner gardeners because they have a lot of guides and information on their site to help beginners decide which type of seeds will do the best in their particular garden, how to plant and care for the seeds, etc. When you are looking at their website on the homepage on on the menu at the "seeds by personality" section you can search for specific things like seeds that grow well in containers, seeds that grow well in partial shade, seeds that mature in less than 45 days, etc. So it's helpful if you want a reference to know which seeds fit into those categories.

They might not have the biggest selection of varieties of all of the seed companies that I've found, but they still have a very decent selection of heirlooms, and if you're someone who just wants good heirloom seeds and doesn't want to be overwhelmed with tons of options then they're a great choice. I also love the fact that they offer sample packs for cheap prices which not too many seed companies offer, so if you want to try some varieties out without investing a lot of money you have that option. (And if you join their mailing list or check their website frequently you will find that they also often offer deals for free shipping and/or coupon codes too!) I've gotten a few of their smaller sample packs of seeds before, and I liked the fact that I could try out a few new seeds I had never tried growing before without having to spend too much money on them.

You can find SeedsNOW here:

4) Victory Seeds

Offers vegetable, herb, and flower seeds
All seeds are heirloom, open-pollinated, and non-GMO
Seeds are Certified Naturally Grown
Supports the Safe Seed Pledge

Victory Seeds is a small, family-run company that offers a good selection of old-fashioned heirloom seeds. One thing that I really appreciate about Victory Seeds is the historical information that they offer in the descriptions for many of their seed varieties. As someone who loves history, I'm always looking to find the historical details about heirloom seed varieties and it drives me a little bit crazy when seed companies give just a vague description with no reference at all to the historical background of the seeds. So I love the fact that Victory Seeds makes the effort to give that information when it's available.

I bought seeds from Victory Seeds for the first time recently but I haven't planted them in my garden quite yet, but I am looking forward to trying them out this coming growing season.

You can find Victory Seeds here:

5) Monticello Seed Shop

Offers vegetable, herb, and flower seeds
Seeds are heirloom and open-pollinated but not officially certified non-GMO

The Monticello Seed Shop offers the same varieties of seeds that would have been historically correct for the period when Thomas Jefferson was planting his gardens at his Monticello home. While the selection of seeds available is much smaller than what you would find on a typical online seed store, the Monticello Seed Shop is the perfect place for history lovers to find unique early American seed varieties, and I found a couple of varieties of pea seeds that I couldn't find from other companies. I've only ordered from their site once so far, but I was happy to find those unique pea varieties, and I've been saving those same peas from year to year ever since.

You can find the Monticello Seed Shop here:

6) Pinetree Garden Seeds

Offers vegetable, herb, and flower seeds along with some live plants and bulbs
Some seeds are heirloom and some are hybrid
Seeds are non-GMO and some seeds are Organic
Supports the Safe Seed Pledge

Pinetree Garden Seeds is a small family-owned seed company in Maine, so it is one of the more local companies for me since I live in Massachusetts. They have a variety of different seeds including both heirloom and hybrid varieties, so you do have to pay attention when you are searching for seeds to make sure you choose heirloom varieties if that is your preference. Even though they sell a mix of heirloom and hybrid seeds they have a good amount of heirloom seeds, and I have been able to find several of the heirloom varieties that I like to plant on their website, including the 1870s Danvers Half Long Carrot that can sometimes be hard to find since a lot of other sites offer the newer 1940s Danvers 126 strain.

You can find Pinetree Garden Seeds here:

Seed Companies I Haven't Bought Seeds from Yet But That I Would Consider Buying From in the Future

The following seed companies are ones that I haven't personally bought seeds from yet, but I have reviewed their websites and think that they would also be good options, and they are companies that I would consider buying seeds from in the future.

1) Johnny's Selected Seeds

Offers vegetable, herb, flower, and fruit seeds and plants
All seeds are non-GMO and some seeds are certified organic
Offers both heirloom and hybrid seeds
Supports the Safe Seed Pledge

Johnny's Selected Seeds is a 100% employee-owned company that offers a wide variety of vegetable, herb, and flower seeds, and they also offer some live plants too. They do offer some hybrid seeds as well as heirlooms, so if you are looking exclusively for heirloom seeds then you'll have to do some sifting through their website to find the heirlooms. But if you know specific varieties that you want then it's worth checking them out because they have a large selection of seeds to choose from. They're also a good option if you want to plant organic seeds because many of their seeds are Certified Organic.

I haven't ordered seeds from Johnny's seeds yet, but I've looked through their website and think that it would be a good source for getting seeds, and I've also heard Johnny's recommended as a good source from other gardeners.

You can find Johnny's Selected Seeds here:

2) Fedco Seeds

Offers vegetable, herb, and flower seeds as well as bulbs and trees
All seeds are non-GMO and some seeds are Certified Organic
Offers both heirloom and hybrid seeds
Supports the Safe Seed Pledge

Fedco Seeds is a bit different than the usual seed company because they are a cooperative so profit isn't their main goal. They offer a wide variety of seeds that you can get either in small amounts or in bulk. While they offer hybrid seeds as well as heirloom seeds, they do have a category on their seed page that allows you to browse just the heirloom seeds. You can also browse though just the organic seeds as well, so the way their website is designed makes it easy to search for what you want.

I haven't ordered seeds from Fedco yet, although I have looked at their website and I think it would be a great source for heirloom seeds. I also have a friend who often orders seeds from Fedco.

You can find Fedco Seeds here:

3) Territorial Seed Company

Offers vegetable, herb, and flower seeds as well as some live plants
Offers both heirloom and hybrid seeds
All seeds are non-GMO and are sustainably grown although not all are officially certified organic
Supports the Safe Seed Pledge

The Territorial Seed Company is a family-owned company that offers a large selection of vegetable, herb and flower seeds, and they also offer some live plants as well. They do sell both heirloom and hybrid seeds, but they way their website is organized makes it easy to find the heirlooms. They also have a page just for the varieties that are organic as well, so you can easily find those specific varieties without having to search too much.

I haven't ordered seeds from Territorial Seed Company yet, but they are another company that I think could be a good resources for finding heirloom seeds.

You can find the Territorial Seed Company here:

4) MIGardener

Offers vegetable, herb, and flower seeds
All seeds are heirloom seeds
All seeds are non-GMO
Supports the Safe Seed Pledge

MIgardener is a seed company that I learned about more recently. They are a small seed company located in Michigan and they sell all heirloom seeds. Even though they are a smaller company than some of the larger heirloom seed companies, they still have a good selection of heirloom seeds to choose from. And their prices are some of the best I have seen if you are looking to plant a garden without having to spend a fortune on seeds.

I haven't purchased any seeds from them quite yet, but I am definitely considering doing it in the future. I have really enjoyed the YouTube channel connected with this seed company, and I have learned a lot about gardening from watching Luke's videos, so I would definitely recommend checking out MIGardener for both the seeds and for all of the great information on the YouTube Channel if you are interested in learning more gardening tips.

You can find MIgardener here:

Want Even More Seed Options?

If you're looking for even more places to find good quality heirloom seeds, check out these seed lists from my blogging friends. They have some of the same seed companies that I listed, but they also have a few others that aren't on my list too: