A.D. Munn Collards

Brassica oleracea viridis

Seeds per pack ~100

Germination: 80% Oct 2024 (Packed for 2025)

Our variety of A.D. Munn Collard heirloom seeds were grown out by Levi Grissett (pictured here) of Brunswick County, North Carolina on the farmland his family owned for numerous generations. But Mr. Grissett was originally not a person with a taste for collard greens. It was his wife Frances who encouraged Levi to consider growing collards along with the other vegetables in his garden.

Grissett acquired his first supply of collard seeds from an older woman who lived nearby. With a dependable supply of the collard seeds, he never considered saving seeds. Once the woman passed it became difficult for Levi to find heirloom collard seed. According to Grissett “Most of the old folks died out, and when they died, the old timey collards went with ‘em.”  Finally in 2008 Grissett acquired some “old timey” collard seed from his friend A.D. Munn. Munn’s collard seeds had been passed on to him from his stepfather, a Quincy Harvey, who had acquired the seed from a friend. 

The friend never shared the seeds because they were a family treasure that had been passed down for over 100 years.  These tall gorgeous collards were greatly prized by people in the area.  As Grissett remembers the story, just prior to his passing, the friend of Harvey finally shared with him the  treasured seeds.  Quincy Harvey grew the collards and saved the seeds, which he shared with  A.D. Munn. And Munn shared the seeds from his crop with Levi Grissett. The first year that Levi planted the collard seeds from A.D. Munn, the plants grew almost 8 feet tall shocking even Munn.