Everwilde Farms - 1/4 lb Fordhook Swiss Chard Seeds - Gold Vault Bulk Seed Packet

Fordhook Swiss Chard is a standard green chard variety that grows up to 24" tall. It produces large green crumpled leaves with white veins and broad white 2.5" stems. The stems are somewhat like celery, and the leaves are wonderfully tender and juicy. It reaches full size at 55 days but can also be harvested sooner for baby leaf. Fordhook Swiss chard was introduced by W. Atlee Burpee in 1924. In spite of the name, Swiss chard originates in the Mediterranean region, where professional and home chefs alike use it for salad greens or as a flavoring in soup or rice. The first written mention of this vegetable in the United States is in The American Farmer magazine, where Baltimore farmer Gideon Smith reported his experimental planting. It remained a curiosity until after the Civil War, when gradually it gained in popularity.