Tag Archives: heirloom tobacco

What Are Heirlooms & Hybrids

These old-fashioned types of tobacco, commonly referred to as Heirloom, have been around for many decades and carry with them some interesting names we know little about. Heirloom types are the main varieties found on this site. They are pure in a sense that their genetic characteristics have not been modified over time through cross pollination with other types. As a true breed, if you were to grow one hundred plants, there would be little difference between one and another. Also, were you to collect the seeds from one of these and grew them the following year, you’d get very similar results.

By contrast, there are also a mind boggling number of hybrids, which often have coded names. These are varieties which have been produced by cross breeding one type of tobacco with another to produce a new variety. It’s what modern day tobacco farmers grow. Hybrids pertain to contain the most favorable characteristics of tobacco, whilst keeping out unwanted features.

If you were to grow one hundred hybrid tobacco plants, there would, as with Heirlooms, be little difference between one and another. However, were you to collect the seeds from one of these and grew them the following year, there would be little similarity between them. The seeds will produce plants resembling one or the other parent or both, but there will be considerable variations between them.

So with heirloom seeds, you buy these once and can grow them forever after. Hybrids are grown once, and each year you need to buy fresh seeds to avoid them turning back into their more primitive state.

There are benefits and drawbacks associated with each type.

In the end it boils down to personal taste and ones’ point of view.

You’ll find many heirloom varieties on this site, and more hybrids on our parent site The Tobacco Seed Company.

Turkish Bafra

picnotavailableTurkish tobacco often used in pipe tobacco blends and cigarettes.

Columnar plant growing to 5 feet. Mature in 50 days.

Cures a medium brown. Has a very low nicotine content.

Used for cigarettes, cigars and pipes.

Connecticut Broad Leaf

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Connecticut Broad-leaf is a fast maturing cigar wrapper tobacco.

It grows to 4 feet in height with dark green leaves to 30″ long and 16″ wide. It matures in only 45-50 days.

Used for cigars and pipes.

Quantity

White Mammoth

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White Mammoth is a bright leaf tobacco that grows quick and matures very early at only 50-55 days.

It grows 4/12 feet with leaves 2′ long and 1′ wide.

Suckering is low and the leaves cure easily. A good choice for short growing seasons.

Used for cigarettes and pipes.

Russian Red

Russian Red tobacco plants
Russian Red tobacco plants

This is an unclassified tobacco. It grows to around 3 feet in height and has very dark green leaves.

It produces a fair amount of tobacco, but its most striking feature is its large magenta red flowers which contrast against the deep green leaves.

A good dual purpose plant.

Used for cigars and pipes.

Pennsylvania Red

Pennsylvania Red tobacco plants

Pennsylvania Red is a rich full flavored tobacco and a long time favorite of cigar makers as a filler or binder.

It grows to 5 feet in height and has very large long deep colored leaves reaching 3′ in length.

A very good producer that matures in 65-70 days.

The leaves cure to a deep reddish brown.

Used for cigars.

 

Maryland

Maryland Tobacco
Maryland Tobacco plants

A medium flavored Maryland type tobacco that grows to 6 feet in height and produces very large leaves to 36″ long and 18″ wide.

It air cures to a light reddish brown color.

Maryland tobacco is commonly used as a blender. Matures in 55-60 days.

Used for cigarettes and pipes.

Quantity

Little Dutch

Little Dutch is an heirloom variety dating back to the 1880’s.

It is sweet aromatic tobacco used in pipe blends and as a cigar wrapper.

It grow to around 3′ in height and has narrow leaves growing up to 30″ long.

The long narrow leaves also make an excellent cigar wrapper. It matures in only 45 days and is a good choice for container growing.

Used for cigars and pipes.