Old, family-kept lettuce varieties are more fragile than they seem. A study of a heritage seed collection in the UK notes that home gardens are reservoirs of genetic diversity, but the varieties they hold are vulnerable until they are picked up by formal seed-saving networks. Published in the journal Plant Genetic Resources, the study titled 'Genetic analysis of a heritage variety collection' offers a useful lens for a small but remarkable story from central Pennsylvania: a lettuce that survived on one family's habit alone, until an outside seed bank finally gave it lasting security.
A gift from Aunt Mae
