Native Plants

Landraces (heritage plants, heriloom plants, native plants) are part of our living cultural heritage. Their properties reflect the earlier cultivation history of the plants and the culinary values ​​of the past. Their appearance speaks of the aesthetic values ​​that the people who grew country plants have valued. Finnish landraces have adapted to the extreme conditions of the northern European climate. For this reason, there are many more remaining landraces of grasses, barley, oats and rye in Finland compared to many other European countries. The landraces adapted to Finland's northern conditions are unique and belong to our national cultural heritage. Landraces are endangered because new cultivation methods have displaced them. The introduction of new high-yielding varieties and the legislation on the seed market limit their use.

Landraces should be protected and saved for future generations. The threat is urbanization, increased construction and destruction of old residential areas to make way for new ones. With new construction and the desolation of the countryside, the old gardens and their rich variety are disappearing. Modern people prefer smooth, rich, easy-to-maintain lawns, annual imported plants, plant knowledge and care skills are often lacking. Today, the preference for imported plants is taking over the field from landraces, half of woody and perennial plants are foreign species. Landraces have adapted to our climate, they are winter-hardy and their resistance to diseases is better than imported plants. In terms of the preservation of landraces it would be good if seeds were collected from one's own plants and distributed to neighbors, relatives and acquaintances. You should also tell about the importance of preserving the genetics of plants.