Seeds of heritage

Oklahoma Living - By Heide BrandesMay 2025

The passionflower vine twists skyward, its alien-like purple blooms unfurling like cosmic dancers against the Oklahoma sky. Nearby, a battalion of purple coneflowers stands sentinel, their spiny orange centers surrounded by lavender petals drooping toward the earth. A rattlesnake master rises, its spherical white blooms perched atop sturdy stalks that swayed across vast prairies before European boots ever touched this soil.

These flowers are more than beautiful. For the Cherokee people, they carry stories—of seasons, medicines, ceremonies, and connection to the land.

Today, those stories are returning to Cherokee hands through an initiative that goes far beyond gardening.

Each spring, as the land thaws from winter’s hold, the Cherokee Nation — covering 9,000 square miles in northeastern Oklahoma — launches its heirloom seed program. Through this effort, tribal citizens can apply to receive seeds passed down through generations, preserving both biodiversity and culture.