The broader sense of what heirloom means is associated with heritage, history, and nostalgia. In short, heirloom is seed saving. Heirloom plants are understood to grow from seeds handed down from one generation to the next. How experts define heirlooms can vary, but typically they are at least 50 years old. Most heirlooms come from seed that has been handed down for generations in a particular region or area, hand-selected by gardeners for a special trait. In the case of Pezzini Farms heirloom artichokes, the bare root stalk for the perennial artichokes that grow on their farm was originally brought to the United States almost a century ago.