heirloom
n.n. a plant or seed that has been passed down through many generations of a family. These plants are usually very special because they have a history and specific traits that people want to keep.
n. a plant or seed variety that has been preserved and passed down through successive generations of a family or community. Often used to describe heirloom vegetables or flowers that maintain traditional characteristics and genetic diversity.
She planted an heirloom tomato in her garden this year.
Many gardeners prefer heirloom varieties because they offer unique flavors and colors that modern hybrids often lack.
The preservation of heirloom seeds is vital for maintaining agricultural biodiversity and protecting the genetic heritage of crops that have sustained human populations for centuries.
Inherited from Middle English heirlome (“heirloom”, literally “a tool or article passed to one's heirs”). By surface analysis, heir + loom. Displaced native Old English fæderġestrēon.