Old Timey Green variety description
Variation in planting 10 plants total. 1 plant is more prostrate. There is also considerable variation in pigmentation. Most have some sort of purple coloring, but some have more on the stem while others have more on the petiole. All leaves are elliptic and are either entire or slightly lobed with a wavy margin. Leaves have low to moderate blistering. Non-heading variety. Plants measure 12.5-20 inches tall and 22-39 inches wide. Slightly bitter and has a very strong earthy taste.
Old Timey Green variety history
Billie Coston of Holly Ridge, North Carolina, purchased seeds of this collard variety back in 1960 from a man who also purchased seeds several years before that from an elderly woman who is said to have saved the seed for decades. In 2004, Billie gave some seeds to Dr. John Morgan, a cultural geographer and professor of geography at Emory & Henry College, who was collecting heirloom collard strains for preservation on behalf of the USDA Accession. Seed Savers Exchange requested this variety in 2016 from the USDA Accession collection (PI 662805).
Seed Status:
This variety is low quantity in the Seed Savers Exchange collection and is in need of regeneration. We are actively looking for more seed stewards willing to regenerate and steward this variety. Please get in touch if you are interested. Email collards@seedsavers.org.