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Decoding Seed Catalogs: Vegetable, Herb, and Flower Seeds Explained

Navigating the Seed Catalog

Seed catalogs arrive months before planting season, packed with information that can overwhelm beginners. Here's how to read the key descriptions for vegetables, herbs, and flowers.

Vegetable & Herb Seed Listings

Standard Format Example

"Black Seeded Simpson (45 Day) Crisp, tender and sweet. Heat resistant. Pkt. $1.25"

Variety name: Black Seeded Simpson
Days to maturity: 45 days from germination to harvest (estimate; varies with conditions). Use for comparing varieties and planning succession plantings.
Traits: Flavor, texture, disease resistance, climate adaptation.
Price: Per packet.

Sweet Corn Codes: The "Secret" Letters

These indicate hybrid genetics and kernel characteristics:

Code	Type	Characteristics	Best For
su	Normal sugary	Creamy, sweet; poor storage (eat in 2 days); minimal cross-pollination	Home garden
se	Sugary enhanced	Smooth, buttery, tender; longer harvest; minimal cross-pollination	Home garden
sh2	Supersweet	Very sweet, firm, crisp, juicy; stores 10+ days; readily cross-pollinates (isolate 25+ ft)	Commercial / shipping

All are hybrids bred for specific traits. Choose based on your eating timeline and isolation ability.

Flower Seed Categories

Type	Life Cycle	Examples
Annuals	Complete cycle in one season: seed → bloom → seed → die. Replant yearly.	Marigolds, sunflowers
Biennials	Year 1: vegetative growth. Year 2: bloom, seed, die.	Foxgloves, hollyhocks
Perennials	Return yearly from roots; dormant in winter.	Astilbe, hostas, daylilies

Hardiness Zones: The Key to Perennial Success

Zones based on average minimum winter temperatures.
Higher numbers = warmer climates; lower = colder.
Catalogs list zone ranges for perennials, biennials, trees, shrubs (e.g., "Zones 3–7").
Always choose plants rated for your zone. A zone 5 plant will likely die in zone 3 and struggle in zone 8.