Best Root Vegetables for Heirloom
30 root vegetable varieties well-suited for heirloom varieties. Open-pollinated heritage cultivars with unique flavor.
Ailsa Craig Onion
A distinct strain of the classic sweet and mild Ailsa Craig, this line has been specifically selected to perform in organic management systems. Mild onion with excellent size potential. Jumbo to colossal, round to teardrop-shaped bulbs with light yellow skins. Use fresh or for short-term storage. Adaptation: 38-60° latitude. Also available with NOP-compliant pelleting.
Black Spanish Round Radish
An ancient heirloom winter radish prized for its striking black skin and crisp white flesh that delivers a bold, peppery punch perfect for adding excitement to winter meals. This hardy storage radish can be kept for months in proper conditions, making it invaluable for extending the harvest season. With its unique appearance and intense flavor, it's a conversation starter that brings old-world character to modern gardens.
Chantenay Red Core Carrot
A robust French heirloom carrot perfect for heavy or shallow soils where longer varieties struggle. These broad-shouldered, conical carrots develop exceptional sweetness and a distinctive deep orange color throughout, making them ideal for fresh eating and storage. Their sturdy 5-6 inch length and excellent keeping quality have made them a favorite since the 1920s.
Cherry Belle Radish
America's most popular radish variety and an All-America Selections winner, Cherry Belle delivers reliable results for gardeners of all skill levels. These perfectly round, cherry-red radishes mature in just 22-30 days, making them ideal for quick satisfaction and succession planting throughout the growing season. Their mild, crisp bite and uniform shape make them a favorite for fresh eating and beautiful garnishes.
Chiko
A great season-extension offering. For fall, winter, and spring harvest and storage. Can be overwintered in soil, much the same as parsnips. Cook like carrots. Easier to grow than both carrots and parsnips, with faster germination and good weed competition. Delicious in hearty soups and bean stews. Uniform variety. Roots are long, slender, and light brown. Avg. 1-2' long x 1" thick.
Chioggia Beet
Chioggia Beet is an Italian heirloom variety prized for its striking candy-striped interior of alternating red and white rings, revealed only when sliced. Maturing in approximately 55 days, these medium-sized round roots offer a distinctly sweeter, milder flavor profile with considerably less earthiness than standard beet varieties, making them excellent for both raw preparations and cooking. The vibrant, visually dramatic presentation makes Chioggia particularly popular in upscale culinary applications and farmers' markets. Plants thrive in full sun to partial shade with well-drained, organic-rich soil.
Danvers Half Long Carrot
A classic American heirloom carrot that has been a garden favorite since the 1870s. This reliable variety produces deep orange, broad-shouldered roots that taper to a blunt point, making them perfect for heavy or clay soils where longer carrots struggle. Known for exceptional sweetness and crisp texture that improves with cool weather.
Early Wonder Tall Top Beet
Early Wonder is harvested in bunches with large, vigorous tops attached to the young beets. Tall, bright, glossy green, red-veined tops and slightly flattened red roots. Excellent foliar disease resistance for reliably clean bunches.
Easter Egg Radish
Easter Egg Radish is a vibrant heirloom variety producing multicolored roots with a stunning mix of white, pink, purple, and red striping. These small, round radishes mature in approximately 30 days, making them ideal for quick succession planting. Their defining characteristic is their mild, crisp, and exceptionally sweet flavor with significantly less peppery bite than traditional radishes, making them particularly appealing to those who prefer gentler radish varieties. The colorful appearance and pleasant taste make them both visually striking in gardens and excellent for fresh eating, salads, and garnishes.
French Breakfast Radish
A well-maintained strain of this market staple. Longer than Nelson, with more white on the tip. Large healthy tops. After trying many strains we found this to be the best. NOTE: For longer, straighter roots, sow 15-20% more seeds per row 1/2 to 1 cm deeper, and do not irrigate unless absolutely necessary.
German Butterball Potato
An outstanding heirloom potato variety that delivers incredibly rich, buttery flavor in smooth-textured yellow flesh. This late-season variety produces excellent yields of medium-sized tubers with buff-colored skin and stores exceptionally well through winter. German Butterball is considered one of the best-tasting potatoes available to home gardeners.
German Giant Radish
A massive white radish that can grow to impressive sizes while maintaining surprisingly mild flavor and crisp texture. Unlike typical small radishes, German Giant becomes milder and sweeter as it grows larger, making it perfect for cooking applications. This unique variety bridges the gap between European radishes and Asian daikon types.
Golden Beet
Golden Beet is a vibrant heirloom root vegetable with brilliant yellow-gold skin and pale yellow flesh. Maturing in 75-90 days, it's prized for its distinctly sweet and mild flavor—far less earthy than red beets—with a tender, delicate texture. The golden hue alone sets it apart visually in the garden and kitchen. Golden Beets excel in fresh applications where their subtle sweetness shines: roasted as a side, thinly shaved into salads, or pickled. They're an excellent choice for gardeners seeking an easier-to-grow beet with broader culinary appeal and elegant presentation.
Helenor
Helenor is a heirloom root vegetable that matures in 90 days, featuring light orange flesh with a distinctive sweet flavor and mild taste profile. This variety thrives in full sun to partial shade conditions and prefers well-drained loam soil with neutral pH, making it ideal for gardeners of all skill levels. The defining characteristic of Helenor is its exceptional versatility—equally suited for fresh eating straight from the garden or for cooking applications. With an easy difficulty rating and reliable performance, Helenor represents a dependable choice for both novice and experienced growers seeking a flavorful, heirloom root vegetable.
Imperator 58 Carrot
The classic grocery store carrot that defined what most people expect from this beloved vegetable. These long, tapered carrots offer exceptional sweetness and crisp texture, making them perfect for both fresh eating and cooking. A reliable performer that produces uniform, beautiful roots even in challenging conditions.
Laurentian
Round, uniform roots with excellent taste and texture. Purple tops with pale yellow flesh.
Long Black Spanish Radish
This impressive heirloom winter radish dates back to the 1600s and offers a completely different experience from common spring radishes. Growing 8-10 inches long with distinctive black skin and pure white interior flesh, these storage radishes develop complex, pungent flavors that mellow beautifully when cooked. Perfect for gardeners seeking unusual varieties that provide fresh eating well into winter months.
Miyashige
Crisp Japanese-type fall radish of highest quality. "Stump-rooted" cylindrical white roots are pale green near the crown and avg. 16-18" long x 2 1/2-3" wide. A crisp, tender variety for pickling and storage. For July and early August sowing.
Nelson Carrot
Straight candy-red roots resist pithiness better than other long French types. Compared to French Breakfast, roots are shorter, wider, and show less white on the tips. Responds better to tight spacing. Improved top strength. NOTE: For longer, straighter roots, sow 15-20% more seeds per row 1/2 to 1 cm deeper, and do not irrigate unless absolutely necessary.
Nero Tondo Black Spanish Round Radish
An eye-catching heirloom winter radish from Spain that produces striking black-skinned roots with pure white flesh and a surprisingly mild flavor. This unique variety stores exceptionally well and actually improves in flavor after a few frosts, making it perfect for extending the harvest season into winter. The dramatic color contrast when sliced creates stunning visual appeal in dishes while delivering the crisp, clean taste that makes winter radishes so prized.
Paris Market Carrot
A charming French heirloom perfect for containers and heavy soils where longer carrots struggle. These golf ball-sized roots are incredibly sweet and tender, making them ideal for gourmet cooking and an excellent choice for children's gardens due to their unique round shape.
Purple Carrot Cosmic Purple
A stunning heirloom carrot that brings vibrant color to your garden and plate with its deep purple exterior and bright orange core. This eye-catching variety delivers excellent sweet flavor while providing powerful antioxidants from its rich purple pigmentation. Perfect for gardeners who want to grow something truly unique that will amaze friends and family.
Purple Daikon Radish
A stunning Asian variety that combines the mild, sweet flavor of traditional daikon with eye-catching purple and white coloring. These large radishes are perfect for both raw applications and cooking, offering gardeners something truly unique for their fall harvest.
Purple Top White Globe Turnip
Selected strain of this popular Southern US variety. Smooth, round roots average 3-4" in diameter and are white below the soil line and bright purple above. Large lobed greens are suitable for cooking.
Scarlet Nantes Carrot
A classic French heirloom carrot prized for its sweet flavor and crisp texture. These cylindrical orange roots grow 6-7 inches long with smooth skin and virtually no core, making them perfect for fresh eating and cooking. Their exceptional sweetness and tender flesh have made them the gold standard for home garden carrots worldwide.
Scarlet Queen Turnip
Scarlet Queen is a heirloom turnip variety prized for its stunning deep red to crimson skin that stands out in the garden and kitchen. Maturing in just 37 days, this quick-growing root vegetable produces tender, globe-shaped roots with crisp white flesh. Unlike many turnips, Scarlet Queen delivers a distinctly sweet, mild flavor without bitter notes, making it excellent for both raw consumption in salads and cooked preparations. The vibrant skin color provides visual appeal while the tender texture remains consistent even when harvested at larger sizes. An easy-to-grow heirloom suitable for gardeners of all skill levels.
Storage #4 Rutabaga
The ultimate winter keeper rutabaga that actually improves in flavor during months of cold storage, developing incredible sweetness and creamy texture. This reliable variety produces large, uniform roots with classic purple shoulders and yellow flesh that becomes butter-smooth when cooked. A staple crop that can feed families through winter while providing exceptional nutrition and comfort-food satisfaction.
Touchon Carrot
A beloved French heirloom carrot renowned for its exceptional sweetness and crisp texture, often considered one of the best-tasting carrots available to home gardeners. This variety produces perfectly straight, smooth roots with little to no core, making every bite tender and flavorful. Touchon's reliable performance and gourmet quality have made it a favorite among gardeners who prioritize flavor over size.
Watermelon Radish
Watermelon Radish is a visually striking heirloom root vegetable with a pale green exterior and distinctive pink-red flesh with white striations, resembling watermelon. Maturing in 90 days, this Japanese variety produces crisp, tender roots ideal for both fresh eating and cooking. The flesh offers a mild, sweet flavor with a subtle peppery finish and pleasant crispness that adds visual appeal and refreshing crunch to salads, slaws, and garnishes. This easy-to-grow variety thrives in deep, well-drained loam with full sun exposure.
White Spear
White Spear is an heirloom leek variety prized for its tender, elongated white shanks and mild, slightly sweet flavor. Maturing in approximately 65 days, this easy-to-grow cultivar thrives in full sun to partial shade with well-drained, fertile loam. The defining characteristic is its pure white, slender stem that remains exceptionally tender and delicate, making it ideal for cooking whole or in refined culinary applications. Unlike coarser leek varieties, White Spear delivers a gentle onion-like sweetness without harshness, earning its place in both home and market gardens.
Why These Root Vegetables Work for Heirloom
Heirloom varieties are open-pollinated cultivars passed down for generations — prized for complex flavor, storied history, and seed-saving potential. These varieties let you save seeds and grow the same crop next year.