Open-pollinated seeds come from plants that are naturally pollinated by wind, insects, birds, or other natural mechanisms, without deliberate human control over the process. Because the pollination occurs within the same variety, the seeds produced will generally grow into plants that closely resemble their parents in both appearance and performance. This means gardeners can save seeds from open-pollinated plants year after year and expect consistent results, making them ideal for seed saving. While all heirloom seeds are open-pollinated, not all open-pollinated seeds are heirlooms, as some are more recent varieties that haven’t been around long enough to be considered heirlooms.